Tutor et Ultor
by Paranoia-shoujo
Summary: What if what we knew about Naruto was a lie? What if he wasn't the dobe he pretended to be? And what if Sasuke was a mission he'd been entrusted with? Yaoi alert
1. Loss

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

Prologue : Loss

**_/Long ago, a demon fox appeared. That fox had nine tails. With one swing, that tail could cause mountains to crumble and tidal waves to form. To stop it, the shinobis fought. Then, one shinobi sacrificed his life to seal the demon. He was the Fourth Hokage./_**

"Ne, Ryuu-niisan?"

"Yes, Naru-kun?"

"…"

"Naruto?"

"Do you hate me?" The young child mumbled, his head turned sideways to look elsewhere, anything other than the teen before him.

"Why would I hate you?"

"Because I'm a demon… Takemi-tousan says so…"

"Don't think that, Naruto. You're my baby brother… I can't hate you."

"But…but…because of me, Takemi-tousan and Kyoko-kaasan died…"

"You didn't kill them, Naruto."

"Yes, I did. Everyone says so. I'm a monster."

"Don't ever say that. You're not a monster. Not even a demon. You're my little brother and I'll protect you always."

"Ne, niisan?"

"Hm?"

"Why does everyone hate me? Why not you?"

"Because they don't know you like I do. I love you, little one."

"But you're going to leave me too. You don't love me….You hate me. You're going to leave me."

"Little one, I have to go…I don't hate you but I must leave…" _/I have to go so that I can protect you. I'm sorry…otouto…/_ "Naruto, don't die."

Had Naruto been not the vessel of the feared Kyuubi, anyone would have wished to comfort him. But that is not so for he housed the most powerful demon… It is fortunate that no one witnessed this tearful scene of two brothers separating because of duty and love…

"Don't ever change, Naruto…," he whispered as he kneeled down to hug the crying child "Stay cheerful, little brat."

Those were Ryuu's last words as he ran off to the village outskirts to help fen of Konoha's intruders.

… It was the last time Naruto saw him…


	2. Plans Set in Motion

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

Chapter 01 : Plans Set in Motion

"No!"

The utterance of the single word silenced the room. The shouting and the cheers vanished into tense air as the occupants turned to one another in confusion. The thick air felt haunting, whispering its mysterious melody that lulled the birds… the trees… even the wind to a deep echoing slumber. Wrapping its occupants with its cloak, the silence coiled until finally it shattered as a young woman voiced the question that troubled everyone's minds.

"Why? I mean, aren't you happy to receive the ANBU status? People will now respect you…"

At her words, the blond boy merely grinned, "Fear me, you mean…," he whispered, cutting her ranting short. "It will be kept a secret. After all, won't it be amusing to watch the defeat of those who underestimate me?"

"Maybe…" She replied with a frown. "But still… why?"

"My reasons are my own, Ayako-neesan." Naruto replied after a bout of silence.

"Anyone who believes that Itachi is extreme on secrets has obviously not met you." A young man with unruly golden-brown hair cajoled as he stepped inside the room. Another man wearing a dark cloak soon followed him.

"Back already?" Naruto addressed the newcomer before turning to his cloaked companion. "Is that you, Itachi?" He asked after 5 minutes of staring.

The cloaked man smirked before replying, "You haven't changed a bit, Naruto."

"As have you, Uchiha Itachi… still creepy as ever." He countered as he watched him discard the weighed down cloth on the ground beside him.

"Itachi-kun is NOT creepy!" Ayako suddenly screamed in Naruto's ear as the others sweat-dropped at the scene before them.

"Schoolgirl's crush…are't you too old for that, imouto?" Ran mused out loud as Ayako shook her fists in anger.

"How dare you!" was all the warning Ran received before Ayako, his younger sister, tackled him.

Uzumaki Kenji stifled a laugh as he watched Naruto the cousins interact… or rather, the cousins and Itachi. The young Uchiha was like family already. They had informally adopted him years ago when he'd been framed as the Uchiha clan's murderer. _/He came…two years after Naruto found us…/_He remembered getting angry at the Sandaime's decision to have Naruto adopted instead of being given to family… After all, the brat was his grandson, the son of his little Hikaru. He scowled, recalling the boy's pitiful state when they were reunited. /_The boy was thin enough that I could trace his ribs… even though Ayako had most assuredly fed him buckets… I fear what he lookd before Ayako got to him. If the Sho couple wasn't dead yet, I'd have killed them myself…/_ His angry thoughts were interrupted when Naruto posed a question at Itachi.

"Is he dead?"

"Who?" Itachi asked, although the gleam in his red sharingan eyes revealed he knew exactly who the blonde meant.

"The one who killed your clan, of course."

"Hn. How is Sasuke?"

"He's fine. Antisocial as hell but still has a horde of fangirls following him like bitches in heat… Why?"

"I know why they left him alone."

"Yeah, I figured that out too." Naruto replied as his mind went through the plan again.

"Nani!" Ayako asked, glaring at Naruto as she realized that he didn't hear her. Just as she was about to strangle the poor boy, he answered in a low voice.

"They struck just after Itachi had a fight with the clan's elders, forcing people to immediately suspect him. Coupled with the fact that the one who killed…"

"Kisame." Itachi interrupted

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"His name is Kisame, the one responsible for their deaths." He elaborated to clear the mist of confusion in everyone's minds.

"Oh…. Coupled with the fact that Kisame used Henge no Jutsu to look like Itachi when Sasuke arrived in the crime scene and also used a strong genjutsu mixed with a mind-crippling ninjutsu to give the illusion of the Sharingan…"

"Can't you just get to the point?" Ran impatiently asked

"Gomen, Ran-niisan, the details are important…" Naruto said, all the while looking sheepish and apologetic.

"Okay then… continue."

"Thus Sasuke would hate his brother and will try to kill him. But since Itachi is more skilled, Sasuke will look for something to boost his strength and that is where Orochimaru will come into play. He will lure Sasuke with the promise of strength and in turn will not only gain a new and youthful body but also the powerful sharingan eyes as well." He concluded

"But why Sasuke? Why not Itachi?" Ayako asked, confused yet again.

"Sasuke's sharingan has more potential than mine. Also he's younger and much easier to manipulate and control." Itachi replied for Naruto as the Hokage stroked his beard in thought.

"I suppose you have a plan, Naruto?" Kenji voiced out as the Hokage raised his cup of tea to his lips.

"Subterfuge."

"Does this have anything to do with your insistence to be enrolled again in the Academy?"

"It's his final year, isn't it?" Naruto inquired as he looked at the third.

"Hai…" The Hokage replied

"I will be joining their class then. But Hokage-san, you must insist to the teacher in charge that I must be grouped with the Uchiha whatever the results of the genin exams may be."

"Very well."

Turning to his two cousins, Naruto whispered "Ayako-neesan, Ran-niisan, the two of you get reconnaissance and watch duty. We need to make sure that Konoha's allies are still loyal."

"Hai"

"Itachi… attack someone in the village." Paying no mind to his relatives' shocked faces, he continued, "I don't care about the damage as long as you leave whoever it is alive."

"Naruto!"

He shrugged before giving a reply. "It will give the Hokage a reason to tighten the security."

"He's right, Ayako." Kenji smiled imploringly at his granddaughter as she released her cousin's arm from her hold.

"But what if…?" She gasped as horrible thoughts filled her mind.

"Are you implying that Itachi is weak?" Ran asked, breaking his silence.

"NO!" She shouted horrified, afraid that Itachi would take offense at her thoughts.

Ran and Naruto shared a look and surrendered to the laughter erupting inside them. After a minute of waiting for them to calm down, Itachi posed his last question.

"But what if I meet Iruka?" At the question, Naruto looked positively gleeful.

"Why? Nervous?" He teased the older boy.

"No."

"I suggest you have fun then."

* * *

"Okay class, today's lesson is…" Iruka's speech was cut off by a knock on the door. He was greatly surprised when the Hokage along with a blonde-haired boy stepped inside the small but neat-looking classroom.

"Hokage-sama!" The scarred teacher squeaked in surprise.

The third waved away his surprise and almost immediately launched him in a conversation pertaining to the sun-kissed boy beside him while the said boy looked over the room. His lips curving to a frown as his eyes met white pupil-less eyes. He stared at the face of its owner as a nagging feeling of an old memory overcame him.

_/Flashback_

_"Why are you crying, niisan?" A blonde boy of five years asked as he watched the person he addressed rub his eyes in an attempt to hide the tears._

_"I'm not crying!" The boy whispered tersely as his milk-white eyes stared at the one who dared disturb him from his grieving. He was taken aback when his eyes met a sad blue._

_"Then why are there tear tracks on your cheek, niisan?" The younger boy asked, confused._

_The pupil-less boy sighed before replying. "None of your business."_

_However, instead of giving up, the whiskered boy took a deep breath before continuing his incessant prodding. "Saying your problems out loud would make you feel loads better…"_

_After this proclamation, both boys fell silent until… "My father died…" Neji began as his blonde companion glanced at him briefly before returning his silent vigil over the stars._

"_Oh… My parent's are dead too… both real and adoptive ones…" The blond whispered, his smile turning sad._

"…" _Neji was silent. Here he was bitter over losing his father and then comes this child who had it worse than him… having lost not only once but twice… "How can you keep smiling then?"_

_"Someone once told me that stars are souls in heaven looking down at their loved ones… watching them." At his words, Neji looked at him in confused awe. Naruto smiled at him before continuing. "Look there…" he said pointing towards two bright stars slightly apart from the others "Those are my parents…" he smiled again, this time sadly as he contemplated on what to say next to the grieving boy. "You should look at your brightest star, the one that's always there for you… that's your father watching over you…" as he said this, he turned to leave, stopping only when Neji shouted out a "Wait!"_

_"Hm." The fox-boy answered_

_"What's your name?"_

_"What's yours?"_

_"Neji. Hyuga Neji."_

_"I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto"_

_"We'll meet again, Naruto."_

_"Hai, we will."_

_End Flashback/_

As the memory faded, he vaguely realized that the Hokage and Iruka were staring at him in concern. "What!" he asked, annoyed as they continued to stare.

"Nothing… Did something interest you, Naruto?" The third inquired as he turned to look at what the young fox was looking at. His searching gaze met that of the Hyuuga's heiress, Hyuuga Hinata.

* * *

"It's been a long time since you were last here…"

Uchiha Itachi looked up slowly, turning away from the sleepy scenery of Konohagakure. He knew the voice even before seeing the face, remembered the memories that accompanied this knowledge. This was no ordinary shinobi as he hoped… it was…

"Copy-nin Hatake Kakashi…" he whispered

"Glad you still remember, Itachi."

"..."

"What's your game, Uchiha?"

"My plans have nothing to do with you… however, you are still unfortunate to have met me." he let out a laugh, cold… malicious… and haunting, causing a shiver of fear and excitement to lick at the jounin's bones.

Kakashi shifted subtly, keeping an eye on Itachi while slowly gathering his chakra.

"I don't know what your plans are but I'll make sure that none of them are put into action."

"..." /_Too late./_

Kakashi scoffed angrily, his visible eye narrowing into a hard stare as Itachi's eyes watched him almost lazily, though his thoughts were anything but that.

_/Foolish Kakashi. The plan has long already started… and you can't stop it, nor would you want to… if only you knew…/_

_/Flashback_

_The minute he arrived at the Uchiha grounds, he knew there was something wrong. Immediately he ran inside and recoiled at the sight that greeted him. Blood painted the walls of the house and the dead bodies of his parents stared glumly at him from the floor. Fear gripped his heart as his eyes searched for his otouto._

_"You're a little too late for the party, Uchiha." He heard a voice from behind. He identified it as the voice of the murderer and at once anger ran through his veins. He turned to him and was mildly surprised to see himself. His eyes narrowed at the thought that this imposter killed his family using his identity. That was the exact moment that he noticed someone behind the bastard. He rushed without delay to the huddled body of his brother and picked him up before turning to their enemy._

_"Omae wo korosu." He growled before a swirl of leaves swept both of them away and all that was left was the slight whisper of charka that flitted away like the wind._

_Itachi reappeared atop a tree beside the house of the Hokage. He skillfully avoided the guards posted by the rooftops and the windows. He sneaked inside the third's room while making sure that no one followed him or would be alerted with his presence and stopped when he came face to face with the elder._

_"I'm leaving." Thus saying, he placed Sasuke in the arms of the third._

_"Will I tell him?" The Hokage asked but his question was met with silence as Itachi had already left._

_End Flashback/_

When the memory cleared from his brain, he noticed Kakashi's position. /_He's going to attack first… Very well…/_ His hand made seals unnoticed as the cloak he wore hid them from view, just as Kakashi released his attack.

"Chidori!" Itachi smirked just as the attack was about to hit. This puzzled Kakashi and prompted him to ask. "What's with the face, Uchiha?"

"Probably because you hit an illusion…" A voice from behind informed him. He turned just as Itachi finished the last seal. "Katon: Housenka."

Kakashi barely dodged the assault of multiple fireballs sent to him and noticed Itachi again finishing another series of hand seals.

_/When did Itachi get so fast/_ Kakashi asked himself as he watched his former subordinate ready his attack.

* * *

"Naruto! How could you do such a thing!" A pair of chuunins shouted as they ran after the orange blur that was Naruto. "You'll pay for this today!"

"Shut up, idiots!" Naruto answered back, laughing as he ran from the two while carrying pails of orange paint. "None of you guys could do something this horrible…" A picture of the the Hokages' carved faces flash through the screen, defiled with painted colors of orange and yellow. "…but I can, I am incredible!" Naruto boasted as he dashed past the isolated alleys of Konoha.

Meanwhile at the Hokage Tower, another chuunin rushed to report to the resting Hokage the incident. "Terrible news, Sandaime…"

Looking up from his painting, the Hokage regarded the flustered youth, "What is it now? Is Naruto causing trouble again?"

* * *

In the far end of the village, near the place of Itachi and Kakashi's confrontation, Naruto was snickering mischievously as he hid from his irate sensei. Sensing Iruka-sensei's approach, he leapt away from his perch and ran towards the fighting duo.

To be continued…..

AN: Hope you like this…. If I get no reviews I'll be taking this off the site… :) Hope you review… Buh-bay!

Chibi P-chan: Please do review blinks extra large eyes and smiles...or else I will kill you!

**..:INTRODUCTION of CHAPTER'S ORIGINAL CHARACTERS:..**

Sho Couple : Naruto's adoptive parents

: Ryuu's parents

Takemi (father) deceased 

Kyoko (mother) deceased 

Sho Ryuu : Naruto's adoptive brother

: the son of Sho Takemi and Kyoko

**_Uzumaki_** **_Clan_**: a secretive clan that lives in the outskirts of Konoha's forests

Uzumaki Kenji : clan-head of the Uzumaki clan

: Naruto's grandfather

Uzumaki Hikaru: Naruto's mother deceased 

: Kenji's only daughter

: Hitori's twin sister

Uzumaki Ran: Hitori's son

: Ayako's (older by seconds) twin brother

Uzumaki Ayako: Hitori's daughter

: Ran's younger twin


	3. Revelation of Bonds

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

Chapter 02 : Revelation of Bonds

_/Dream:_

_"Aniki! Why did you do that?" Naruto asked as Ryuu, his older brother, took his plate from him and threw its contents into the trash. Ryuu watched Naruto pout for a while before explaining._

_"It's poisoned." He said and taking a small portion on the top, he stalked outside and fed it to one of the birds. Immediately after eating, the bird died. "See?" he asked the blonde child_

_"Hai."_

_"Now, don't tell mother or father that you know what they're doing, ok?"_

_"Wakatta!" (I understand!) And the boy grinned with such naiveté that Ryuu couldn't help but pat him on the head, ruffling his hair fondly._

"_Let's go out for some ramen, huh?"_

"_HAI!"_

_:End Dream/_

Naruto was jostled awake when a faint thud echoed and broke the silence of his new apartment. Thinking the worst, Naruto pulled out from under his pillow a short dagger ready to use. Instead of wasting his time by using his eyes to search for the intruder's location, he closed them and tried to pinpoint where exactly the chakra was originating. His effort was in vain though for whomever it was had already masked his presence… he would have to rely on his other senses then. However, before he could activate his 'gifts', the intruder **'gently'** knocked on his head.

"Itai!" he gasped out as Itachi lit the lamp on his bedside.

"You're slipping, Ruto." Itachi smirked as Naruto continued whimpering about his 'hurting' head.

"Itachi, you're disturbing my rest…" He whispered, aggravated at his early wake-up call. "And what's with the attitude?" He continued, obviously annoyed. A second later he fell silent, wondering why exactly the older boy was bothering him. When his mind cleared of its cobwebs, he gulped fearfully. His instincts were telling him to run for it while his brain countered that mere running won't save him from the wrath of the murderous Uchiha and that he should first think up an extremely good escape plan. However, it was just his bad luck that fate was against him.

"I suppose I won't have to remind you considering that your brain has started working already…" Itachi glared, his sharingan eyes spinning wildly.

"No need to be homicidal on me, Itachi…" Naruto began, cautiously backing away from the enraged adult. "Come on, Itachi…, I-it wa-as j-just a j-joke…" he rambled, stuttering whenever the sharingan user would focus his murderous eyes on him.

"Just a joke..?"

"Well… yeah… I mean, no harm done…" Naruto blurted out. "And I was thinking that it was about time you got to see him face to face…" he muttered under his breath as he looked out the open window to see the majestic but gloomy mansion where Uchiha Sasuke lived.

"So what happened?" Naruto interrogated as Itachi moved to sit on the window sill out-looking the mansion.

"Himitsu…"

"Nani! But why!" the Kyubi vessel groaned as he realized that Itachi really wouldn't spill. /_Looks like I have to get close to the grapevines again to know what happened…/_ (To clear up the confusion, he means that he must get the news from the villagers by use of gossip.)

"…"

"Fine. Have you heard about the Akatsuki?"

"The group that craves for power… It is run by missing-nins, whose lives are based on power, revenge, and hate. Its members are all S-ranked criminals who are very dangerous and are wanted by each village." Itachi mused.

"Hai. Shark-guy was part of that group…"

"And what has that got to do with me, foxy?" he sneered

"A whole lot more than you think, weasel. We want you to join that group…"

"We?" he asked

"Gramps and me. The Hokage was left in the dark." Naruto replied

"I suppose you want me to infiltrate their facilities and plans?"

"…"

"I see. When do I leave?"

"As early as possible… but first, stop by the clan house to pick-up some things." Naruto instructed

"Things..?"

"You'll need them…"

"Hn." And with a wave, he was gone.

* * *

In another house, a pink haired girl was sleeping peacefully… or rather was dreaming happily of a raven-haired boy (who just happens to be Sasuke…). The side of her mouth was wet with saliva and her light pink pillow had a large spot of drool on it. It was obviously a good dream as once in a while she would moan out loud and kiss the air. However to her great disappointment (although she doesn't know it yet…), the boy of her dreams was in no way thinking about her. He was currently sitting on the roof of his house, contemplating about his peculiar classmate.

After all, why would the Hokage insist that he be placed in the graduating class when he hadn't ever attended the Academy before? Yes, they were the same age but the idiot didn't even know how to use Henge properly… and above that he even made that disgustingly embarrassing jutsu. He was irritating… noisy… and brainless… everything that a shinobi should not be. /_So why was he even in the graduating class! And why does he always have to stare at me/_ He asked himself as the tips of his ears colored red. "Damn that idiot." He muttered before climbing down through his bedroom window to finally sleep.

A man hidden by the shadows chuckled from his perch upon hearing the boy's parting words. "It seems that you're doing more than watching, Naruto. You are rattling the poor boy's nerves." He let out a full blown laugh once he was sure that the child was asleep as his thoughts took a quick turn. /_I wonder what Itachi will say about this new development…/_ He was startled out of his reverie when a feather light weight touched his shoulder briefly. Drawing a deep breath, he said in greeting. "Ayako."

She smirked before giving a quick and barely noticeable nod and murmuring "Konbanwa Ran-niichan. Pretty serious about watching the brat?"

"Shouldn't you be watching the Hyuuga's, sister?" Ran countered, annoyed at the disturbance.

"Iie. Dad relieved me of my post a while ago."

"Hm. Leave then, you'll need your strength for tomorrow's mission."

"Hai."

"Oyasumi, imouto. Keep safe."

"You as well, aniki."

* * *

"It seems that it has started, Sarutobi-sensei." A man with spiky white hair remarked as he stared at the crystal ball that showed the incident in the forest. As he stared at the fallen figure of Mizuki, he laughed… amused.

"Hai, it has. Naruto is now officially a genin and I suppose a word with Iruka can fix the groupings to our desired ones." The third replied as he too let a smile play on his lips at the scene.

"…"

"He is holding back on his strength, it seems that he and Itachi have a plan." The Hokage informed Jiraiya.

"Itachi? The Uchiha? I heard he betrayed his clan."

"No. Itachi is loyal to the clan through and through. Orochimaru's obsession is to blame."

"Orochimaru? What has that bastard done now?" Jiraiya growled, his anger overtaking him as memories of his former teammate's betrayal flashed through his mind.

"Naruto and Itachi have said that he had sent Kisame, whoever he is, to kill the Uchiha clan while pretending to be Itachi." The third explained as he motioned Jiraiya to retake his seat.

"Are you sure?"

"No. But Kenji believes his grandson… and I believe in him."

"I see. I wonder what Uzumaki-san will say once I tell him that I will train his grandson?" Jiraiya mused as he stared at his former sensei.

At his words, the third raised an eyebrow. "You will train Naruto?"

"I will but not yet… Now is not the right time."

"If not now, when?" He asked, serious.

"Maybe after my third book…" At this, the Hokage sweat-dropped. Nothing else was said between the two men as they watched the two (Iruka and Naruto) walk together towards Ichiraku.

* * *

"Why are you so nice to me, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, sounding genuinely curious as he stared at his former teacher.

"Because you remind me of myself" A pause… Naruto didn't know if he should interrupt or not as Iruka's eyes glazed. "… and someone I once met…" Iruka trailed off as he stared at Naruto's blue eyes.

_/Flashback_

_Itachi cocked his head to the side, looking amused. He currently had Iruka's hand in his as they weaved through the crowd passing the market place. They didn't usually walk this path but today was Valentine's Day and many of Itachi's admirers had wanted to give him their gifts. Just before being almost trampled by his fangirls, the Uchiha heir was able to con his friend into having lunch with him and because of this he was so unusually cheerful that some of the more sensible folk tried to generally stay out of his way. And if Itachi noticed the weird way the elders were acting, he didn't show it. It was obvious that he didn't care._

_"Where shall we eat, Iruka?"_

_"Som-hey!" Iruka gasped as a boy of he supposed five years bumped into him. The young boy was about to leave when Itachi caught his arm and pulled him up._

_"Well?" Itachi prompted the blonde boy. _

_The boy looked at him guiltily before replying. "I'm sorry, niichan. I'll give it back, I promise."_

_And with that, Itachi released him. The blonde boy turned to stare at him before handing him back his pouch of money. "I'm sorry, niichan. I won't do it again." The boy said, blushing when his stomach growled._

_Iruka glanced at him briefly, his mind debating on it before seemingly deciding on something. "You hungry?" He asked the child._

_"…" The poor boy's stomach growled again, and that was enough answer for Iruka. _

_He took the boy's hand and said to Itachi, smiling. "Come. Let's eat."_

_Itachi stared at them both for a while before giving a nod. "Ok."_

_End Flashback/_

"…" It took a minute before Iruka's eyes became focused again.

"I met a boy before… or rather he stole my wallet and Itachi caught him…"

"Itachi?" Naruto asked, interrupting his story.

Iruka smiled sadly at Naruto before replying. "Uchiha Itachi and I were friends."

"Were?" Naruto again inquired.

"He left years ago but…"

"But?" He again asked.

"He returned yesterday."

"Then why are you not friends anymore?" /_Are you angry at him too, Iruka-sensei/_

"I don't know." Iruka answered miserably, a frown on his face.

"For curiosity's sake, I just want to ask Iruka-sensei… Do you still want to be his friend..?" /_Or maybe more than friends/_

"Yes."

"Then I'm sure you'll reconcile sooner or later." /_Actually, it's much later since he's on a mission right now but you will sometime…/_

"I wish I'd meet him again, that boy…with the bluest eyes and bright sun-kissed hair… now that I think of it, he looks much like you… you even have the same fascination for ramen."

When Iruka turned his eyes away from Naruto, the fox child smiled… his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "So you do remember…" He murmured.

"What? Did you say something, Naruto?"

"No sensei." /_Don't worry, sensei. One day I'll be able to tell you everything… and one day, I'll reunite you with Itachi./_

To be continued…..

AN: Yes, I revised… Hope you like this…. Hope you review… Buh-bay!

**..:REVIEWS' CORNER:..**

**To jinky-kurapica:** Thanks! Here's the next chapter.

**To cfox:** I am leaning to that pairing….and don't worry about the brothers, I'm sure they'll be able to work it out… hehehe Thanks for the review.

**To lollipop:** Thanks and here's the next installment.

**To Falcon-Rider: **Not really… at least not after I got reviews. Don't worry because some background story will be revealed in the next chapters to clear up some of the confusion with Naruto being an ANBU. Thanks for the review.

**To Dark Mimiru-Chan:** I was thinking that too since I L-O-V-E their pairing. They are so cute together! Thanks for the review.

**To Akira:** I'm glad that you think it's interesting. Thanks for the review.

**To Manga-lover123:** I'm glad you like it and here's the next chapter. Thanks for the review.

**To Kuroi Hikari:** Glad you think it's interesting. And the pairings will be yaoi… or maybe only shounen-ai, I'm not really good at steamy fics…. And the two pairings you mentioned…. I'm actually leaning into those two. Itachi is quite fond of Iruka…. Like? Seems like it. I'm not really sure since my hand has a mind of its own when it comes near those two names… Thanks for the review.

**To Ani-de4649 **I'm sorry for the confusion in the beginning; I will try to rectify it in the following chapters. About the spacing, I will also edit that. Thank you and hope you like this new installment. Thanks for the review.

**To unknown:** Thank you and yes, I've updated.

**To SilverKnight7:** Thank you for being my first reviewer and here's the next installment of this fic.

TO ALL WHO REVIEWED: This is dedicated to you! THANK YOU AGAIN!


	4. Protection Issues

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

AN: This chapter is dedicated to my friend, P-chan and to all those who reviewed me.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

Chapter 03 : Protection Issues

"What are you doing here? Only those who graduated are supposed to be here…" Shikamaru asked Naruto as he spotted the blond boy sitting in the far corner of the room, beside the sullen Uchiha.

"I graduated, obviously… or didn't you see this?" Naruto replied, pointing to his new hitai-ate.

Shrugging, Shikamaru whispered, "Troublesome…" before walking to the empty seat in front of them.

A few rows back, Hinata smiled with a blush. _/Naruto-kun passed… I'm glad./_

After their brief confrontation, Naruto chanced a look at Sasuke. He saw the girls fawning over him and a smirk displayed on his lips as a new plan formulated in his mind. A few days of watching Sasuke in school had already gotten him threats via the fangirls, telling him that if he even dared to seduce the pale boy that they would kill him. It was laughable but he did have to give them credit for their determination when it was obvious that the boy despised them.

/_A rivalry of sorts will not cause them to be suspicious of me and it will also cover more loopholes when thinking up a good reason when I get caught staring…/_ He thought as he watched the pink-haired girl, whom he learned was Sakura, and the blonde-haired girl, Ino, enter the room, panting, at the same time before immediately gravitating to his sulking seatmate.

_/Girls are really vicious./_ He thought seconds after losing his seat to a bunch of hormone-driven girls.

Deciding on his plan of action, Naruto jumped up on to Sasuke's desk and glared at his face. /_He is calm, seemingly not bothered with our close proximity… but there's something wrong, his face is different……… His ears are red/_

"What in seven blazes are you doing, Naruto?" Miki, one of Sasuke's die-hard fan girls screamed at him, almost breaking the eye contact between them.

Shikamaru, the boy infront of them, wondering what the commotion was about, chanced a look behind him. However this action caused him to bump into our favorite loudmouth ninja, causing his lips to touch with Sasuke's. /_I'm kissing him. I'm kissing Uchiha Sasuke…. Itachi is SO going to kill me/_

"How stupid can you get, NARUTO!" Sakura screamed at Naruto when her shock had worn off. "I'LL KILL YOU! You stole Sasuke-kun's first kiss!" And she proceeded to whack him on the head a number of times.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan. It's not as if I wanted that to happen. Eeew!" Naruto tried to explain, furiously wiping away at his mouth with the sleeve of his orange jumpsuit. /_Hm, his lips were soft… BAAHHH…/_ Mentally, he shook his head while he bore a disgusted expression on the outside, pretending to be angry at the incident.

Before any more bodily harm could be delivered to the blonde boy however, Iruka arrived along with the Hokage and they proceeded to announce that genins will be grouped into threes. "Every group is balanced. One weak, one strong, and one smart….Team 7: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka announced, looking over at the Hokage to see a barely noticeable nod. Naruto's reaction however was not as pleasant. He demanded to be put in another team without that stuck-up Uchiha. His request was ignored however as the Hokage informed him that the decisions were final.

* * *

Ten minutes into break, Sasuke found himself fighting the idiot from class. Their fight was ended however when the raven-haired boy emerged from the cloud of smoke that surrounded them. Intending to walk back into the Academy, he saw Sakura moping on the park bench alone. They talked for awhile before she admitted that she would do anything for him to acknowledge her because she likes him so much. She then leaned closer to him to give him a kiss…. 

Their lips brushed together and when they both opened their eyes, Sakura whispered "Why aren't you falling over dead?"

Sasuke's eyes furrowed before he gasped out, as if fire was burning and scorching him inside out "What!" He asked Sakura as he clung to her, pain ripping him apart.

Sakura suddenly smirked, her hands clasped together. Smoke filled her place and when they vanished, a girl with slit green eyes and violet hair stood in her place. "Too bad you have to die, Buh-bay, sweety…"

"Not really…"

"Nani!" The girl gasped, surprised as Sasuke unexpectedly changed to Naruto, the pained expression gone… replaced with a smug but angry look.

"Somehow, I knew it was right to trust my instincts." Naruto said as he grasped her neck in a tight hold.

"What?" she asked breathlessly as she was lifted from the ground.

"You don't get it do you? How about I explain…" He again tightened his hold until her pale face became more pallid. "You don't threaten or hurt the Uchiha, understand? No one … Or else, they die by my hand…I suppose your death would be enough reminder for those who sent you."

Unbeknownst to them both, someone was watching them from one of the trees. He was surprised earlier at the venom he heard in Naruto's voice and the strength he displayed… It was unlike the Naruto from before… as if they were two different entities. /_I suppose this is the real Naruto. He is strong… But why does he hide it? Hm… He is curiously intriguing… worthy of attention… But why protect Sasuke when the boy could protect himself/ _His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the cruel snap of the girl's neck. "Poor girl." Shikamaru sighed quietly, watching Naruto drop the girl's corpse before returning to his former task… watching the clouds.

* * *

At the other side of the school, the real Sasuke and Sakura were engaged in a conversation about Naruto. 

"…. Naruto can really do whatever he wants, if I acted the way he did, my parents would get so mad. In a way he's lucky, all alone with no parents getting on his case, and that is why he misbehaves so much." Sakura ranted, frustrated that the only time Sasuke deemed her worthy of his attention he wanted to talk about Naruto, stupid obnoxious Naruto.

Sasuke's eyes darkened at the words. "The sadness of having a parent yell at you is nowhere near what Naruto feels." He said with his voice in a low monotone. /_You don't understand… you won't until you lose them./_

"What? Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked confused with his words.

Sasuke frowned at her and replied before leaving. "You are annoying."

* * *

That night, Uzumaki Kenji for the first time in three years left the Uzumaki clan house. "How fares the Uchiha child?" Kenji asked as he stopped by his grandson's apartment. 

"He is strong enough to be a Chuunin. Once he learns to use his sharingan and master its usage, he could easily give Itachi a run for his money." Naruto chuckled after relating some instances wherein Sasuke had displayed his strength.

"I see… and the Hyuuga's, how are they?"

"They are strong but…"

"But…" Kenji prompted as he curiously watched Naruto's face for some clue.

"… but Hiashi's heir, Hinata, she holds no confidence in her abilities. How can she when everyone else believes her to be weak?"

"Belief is such a powerful thing. It can cripple or strengthen… And what do you think of their prodigy child?" He asked, curious of the thoughts that passed the young fox's mind

"He is strong as he is weak. Unlike his cousin, his weakness lies in his bitterness… such is the curse of the Hyuuga Branch House…"

"That is the greatest difference of the Hyuuga's and the Uchiha's. The Hyuga's value the elder, holding more favor over one instead of giving it equally while the Uchiha's believe on strength making them unbeatable…"

"Twas' a pity they died…"

"…"

"But more pity to their heirs… they hold much weight over their heads…" /_Especially Itachi as he bears his brother's hate./_

Seeing the faraway look on Naruto's face, Kenji remarked. "Out of all of us, you understand Itachi the most. Bearing hate from others, it is nothing abnormal for you…"

"I know. But his pain is worse for the one who hates him, he loves…"

"Maybe…"

"…" They fell silent after that, Naruto staring at the cup before him, deep in concentration.

Pop

Both lost their focus and turned to stare at the new comer. Before them stood a small brown weasel with a tiny scroll on his back. "Oi." It called out as it waved at them. "I got a message from the boss." He murmured as he handed over the scroll to Naruto before he disappeared.

After reading the contents of the scroll, Naruto turned to his grandfather and said, "Itachi has successfully joined Akatsuki."

"Really?"

"Hai. It seems that Kisame had joined the Akatsuki again as Itachi. The group also believes Kisame to be dead… killed in his encounter with Orochimaru, which he is but not by Orochimaru's hand …."

Kenji then laughed, amused at his grandson's omniscient behavior. "So the seeds have been planted, what will you do now?"

Naruto smiled wistfully before replying, "I actually am not sure. Wait, I suppose. After all, there is nothing more we can do but that."

"Hai. It is too bad that we can't find a spy to be sent to Sound. It would be good to know if the rumors are true."

"Rumors, grandpa?"

"They say Orochimaru has taken over Sound. We speculate that it's like a large laboratory for his experiments."

"That will complicate things…."

"Yes."

"Hm." Naruto murmured as he took another look at the scroll in his hand.

"Anything else?" Kenji asked, as he watched his grandson's surprised expression. "Is there a problem, Naruto?"

"Itachi said they found someone like me…"

"…"

"Gaara of Hidden Sand."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Hokage's house, a meeting was going on. Iruka, Kakashi, a handful of jounins, and the Hokage sat in the dining room. They were currently having their tea as they spoke of tightening the security around the village. 

Asuma suggested that jounins surround the place but Kurenai insisted that it would only cause panic and fear among the villagers. While they were arguing about the pros and cons of it, Kakashi was staring at the bothered Iruka. Their eyes met and the memories of that day flooded Kakashi's mind.

_/Flashback_

_"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." After saying the words, twenty clones of Itachi abruptly appeared, surrounding Kakashi. _

_With nowhere to run, Kakashi made some hand seals and shouted. "Katon Karyuu Endan." A massive flame blast appeared and burnt up all the Itachi clones. Upon seeing his clones gone, Itachi materialized behind him stabbing him with a kunai on his shoulder._

_"Not training as much as you should, Kakashi? You disappoint me." Itachi commented as he again disappeared from view._

_Reappearing before the jounin, he was poised for a finishing attack. He faltered however when a voice shouted "NARU-…Itachi!" His eyes widened in surprise at Iruka's intrusion._

_Distracted, he wasn't able to deflect the kick Kakashi sent his way. But Kakashi didn't stop there, as he ran after Itachi and threw several shuriken in his direction. Itachi caught the shuriken that was aimed for his chest, quickly throwing it back from where it came from. A tap on his shoulder made him turn around. He struck out with his leg, connecting his foot to Kakashi's shoulder. Both males went flying. Itachi struggled to his feet to see Iruka kneeling beside Kakashi, asking him if he was alright. He sighed, watching their interaction for awhile before deciding to leave._

_"You are lucky, Kakashi, for I do not feel like killing today. Goodbye." And with his right hand, Itachi then threw a smoke bomb on the ground, creating a smoke screen, leaving the village with a sad smile on his lips._

_End Flashback/_

"He faltered when he saw Iruka." He mumbled to himself, not at all listening to the important meeting going on in the room.

"Did you say something, Kakashi?" The Hokage asked, his eyes shimmering with barely hidden amusement. /_Iruka interrupted their fighting… Itachi must have slipped because of his appearance./_ The third thought as his eyes brushed upon the absent-minded chuunin. His mouth twitched involuntarily as he noticed the frown on the unusually serious jounin.

Kakashi briefly glanced at the younger chuunin before coming to a decision. /_I will protect you, Iruka. That I promise…/_

* * *

He lay on the bed, motionless and eyes closed. For a long time, he stayed like this. The meeting was adjourned hours ago but the Hokage's parting words haunted him, flooding his being. /_Doesn't Naruto remind you of him? Of Itachi? They are not so different. Both of them were trapped in roles that others handed to them. Itachi was given recognition but he was also given fear. Naruto was ignored but also feared. They both have very few who trust them. I see how much you care for Naruto but the question is, how about Itachi/_ The Hokage had asked him before he left. 

"Why, Itachi? Why?" Iruka murmured as his eyes drooped down, his memories imprisoning him in a lovers' embrace, unwilling to let go.

_/Dream:_

_"Wha..?" Iruka mumbled, confused. He looked down himself to see that he was wearing pajamas and was in his bed. _

_"Did I wake you?" His silent intruder asked._

_Iruka squinted his eyes to look at him, trying to figure out who his unexpected visitor was. "Itachi?" He asked after blinking to the sudden light. It was apparent that Itachi had grown tired of his guessing and just opened the lights for him._

_"Did I wake you?" He asked again._

_"Well, yes. But it's fine. Don't worry about…." Iruka trailed off, his eyes which have now adjusted to the light were focused on Itachi's wet clothes. He briefly glanced to the window to confirm that a storm was brewing in Konoha. ".. You went out in the rain!" Iruka glared at the Uchiha._

_Itachi blinked and blinked again for good measure before replying to Iruka's motherly scold. "Yes."_

_"Take your clothes off, NOW!" Iruka commanded as he stared at the pale teen before him. _

_Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I think your time with Hatake-san has corrupted you, Iru-chan."_

_"You know what I mean, Ita-chan,." Iruka replied, annoyed, blushing at the implication of Itachi's words before strolling to the cabinet beside his bed_

_"Of course."_

_"I suppose you're staying the night so you can change to this." Iruka told Itachi, handing him a pair of pajamas like what Iruka was wearing._

_After they settled for the night, Iruka turned to Itachi to ask. "Why did you come?"_

_"…because I thought you needed company." Itachi replied after a deep pause._

_As the words spilled from Itachi's mouth, the mood of the scene changed. Iruka's mask fell to the ground and his eyes burst to tears. He clung to Itachi as he sobbed. "Why? Why did they have to die? Why did they leave me?"_

_"Ssh. I'm here. I'll always be here." He murmured, watching Iruka sob his heart out as they lay side by side on the bed. When the sobs lessened and finally stopped, Itachi chanced a look at Iruka. Iruka had fallen asleep on top of Itachi due to emotional exhaustion and Itachi let him. His normally cold sharingan eyes warmed when they settled atop his friend. And when the moon hid behind the clouds, he pressed his lips to Iruka's forehead and whispered into the night. "I'll protect you, Iruka. I promise. No one will hurt you… or else I will kill them…"_

_: End Dream/ _

To be continued…..

**AN:** Hope you like this… Please review!

**Chibi P-chan:** Was it just me or were there issues on protection going around in here? Seriously... Galing ni Mie-chan!

**..:REVIEWS' CORNER:.. **

**To Kuroi Hikari:** About the recaps? I'll do some more like the kiss and the thing with Haku (with a lot of revisions) but other than that it's purely mine. Hope you like this chapter and thanks for the review.

**To Wolfgirl13:** Naruto is loyal to his family and to Konohagakure.

**To ghostninja85:** Sasunaru? Don't worry, I also like this couple but I also think that Nejinaru is cute too.

**To KCxis:** You're right, the last part was so not me. Even I am disappointed with how it turned out… Thus I decided to revise it and delete the insertion of the anime's first episode. I do hope you'll like this chapter more and thanks for the review.

**To kugatso-go:** Hi! Thanks for the review and here's the next chapter.

**To SilverKnight7:** Here's the next installment and the pairings are…. I'm not sure yet…

**To RuByMoOn17:** Here's the next installment.


	5. Breaking Barriers

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

Chapter 04 : Breaking Barriers

In a valley nearing the Hidden Grass village, an ANBU team of assassins stood before a rogue warrior. "I've killed ninety-nine people with this blade." The man boasted as he raised his gigantic knuckle blades to show to Ayako's teammates, hoping to incite fear in their hearts.

"Ninety-nine people? That's a whole lot of people…" Ayako said dryly, watching her enemy tense at her obvious negligence of his power.

"Yes, and you'll be my hundredth…" he sneered, charging against her with a speed that surprised her team.

"He's faster than I first thought." Kyle, Ayako's teammate, whispered as he watched the fight before them.

"Yeah." Omi shrugged carelessly.

"Shouldn't we save her?"

"No. Don't interfere…" Omi warned him as he tipped his ANBU mask to another angle.

"But…"

"She doesn't need saving…"

"But she's a… she?"

"She is the Shinimegami, known for killing thousands in cold blood. It takes a miracle to escape her blade."

"Has anyone ever defeated her?"

"I don't…"

"Actually, yes. The only one…" Ayako interrupted as she walked towards them. They looked behind her to see the pitiful carcass of their enemy cut in half.

"Really? Who?"

"Himitsu." She answered, before turning her back on her teammates to look at the sky. /_Itachi, you better come back to Konoha alive and safe or else… say bye-bye to Iruka-kun./_

* * *

"Achoo!" Akito looked up, surprised at the unexpected interruption in their meeting. He raised an eyebrow at the stoic Uchiha who had sneezed when they were seriously discussing about the jinchuuriki of Sand. The other merely glared, not even showing any inclination of his blunder. Akito shrugged, this was not the time to wonder on the weird behavior shown by the Uchiha. After all, he had a mission to accomplish.

"… And what of the unknown power of the Sand..?" Karyu asked, his eyes boring holes on the Uchiha.

"…" Akito shrugged carelessly, glancing briefly at Itachi.

"Two things… Either he joins or he dies…"

* * *

_/There are only two possibilities around this. Either, he's a really lucky, albeit clumsy, idiot or he's pretending to be one./ _Kakashi mused as he took a good look at his orange-clad student. /_But why pretend then/ _He took a quick glance at the trio before shaking out his thoughts. _/The only reason I can think of is that he really is an idiot./_ He concluded, disappointed. He'd wanted to unravel the many masks of his students and yet it seemed like they were far too impenetrable.

It had been a week since Kakashi's test and Naruto to the great surprise of many, haven't gotten himself killed… yet.

As of yesterday, the blonde boy had the threat of death on his head courtesy of Kiba. This was because Naruto had oh-so-cheerfully insulted Akamaru which resulted in a fight between him and the other boy. Thankfully before Naruto got killed, Hinata pulled away her large teammate away from him.

"Hey, sensei! Aren't you gonna leave that tree and eat yet?" Naruto asked, not even looking up from his food.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Naruto's words reached him. /_He knows that I am here/_

"What the hell are you talking about, Naruto! Kakashi-sensei isn't here yet!" Sakura screamed at Naruto before turning to Sasuke with a blush. "Right, Sasuke-kun?"

"…"

_/Not even Sasuke was able to sense me…/ _Kakashi frowned, wondering if all the rumors and his perception of the boy were false.

He gaped silently when Naruto looked directly at him before nodding curtly. "Sensei."

"Would you stop acting, Naruto!" Sakura burst, her hands poised to whack the poor boy on the head. However this action was halted when their sensei leapt from the branch where he was observing them with a quiet thump.

"Naruto." Kakashi said in greeting at the blonde boy who had first noticed his arrival.

"You need to take a bath, sensei. Or not use any perfumes at all... coz you stink!"

"…"

"You hid your charka, sensei, but not your scent… I have a strong sense of smell."

"Sou ka." /_You're like a dog…._ /"The Hokage has a new mission for us…" /Maybe…maybe, you aren't too much of an idiot like they say after all…./

"That cat again?" Naruto groaned

"Maybe…" And with that, they fell in line… walking towards the Hokage's office.

* * *

_/Dream:_

_"Someone once told me that stars are souls in heaven…" A voice whispered in the darkness._

_"What?" Neji asked, confused. He was used to dreaming of floating in darkness but this was the first time that something other than the lack of light pervaded his dreams._

_"…look at your brightest star……that's your father watching over you…" the voice continued_

_"…my brightest star…?" Neji asked, trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. He knew that he had heard it before but…the knowledge of who owned it escaped him._

_"You've forgotten, haven't you?" A younger version of him accused, staring down at him as he floated before Neji._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You've forgotten. You've forgotten our first friend."_

_"What? What do you…"_

_:End Dream/_

"…mean?" Neji's question died as he was jerked awake from his dream. He was surprised to notice that a white flower lay innocently in his left hand, the hand he was reaching out to his apparition. He stared curiously at it before getting up on his feet and walking towards the open window beside him. A curious smile on his lips, he reached out his other hand towards the midnight sky and whispered. "We meet again…"

Perched on the tree beside his room, Naruto smiled, also holding out one hand he said before departing. "It's nice to meet you again, Neji."

* * *

"No! And I do mean no!" Kenji argued, his voice rising in volume.

"But Kenji-san, Naruto will be in good hands." The Hokage argued back, frustrated at the lack of cooperation that the Uzumaki's were showing.

"What part of no do you not understand, Hokage-sama? The N or the O?" Ran asked, equally aggravated.

"I told you Sarutobi-san that I will NOT allow that… that pervert to train Naruto! He can train just fine here with us." Kenji insisted as the third shook his head.

"Jiraiya is strong. Naruto can learn…"

"I don't care if that pervert is a sannin! My answer is no! We have argued about this before, and like that time my answer is no!"

"Sooner or later, he will have to face Orochimaru."

"So…" Ayako countered, not bothering her annoyance at the Hokage's insisting.

"I know that blockhead more than anyone else does…" Jiraiya muttered as the two elders argued before him.

"I don't care."

"I will train him."

"No, Jiraiya. You will not."

"Whether you like it or not, I will."

"Can't you understand plain words? The answer is still no!"

"After all, it's just right…"

"We said…"

"I promised the Fourth that I will ensure that his son will surpass even him." Jiraiya continued, unmindful of the arguments that the Uzumaki's were putting forward at his every turn.

"We.. WHAT!"

"I'm pretty sure that he'll be proud to have his son be my student." The white-haired sannin commented.

"Fine"

"Grampa!" Ayako and Ran gasped, surprised.

"Hush. Naruto will decide on this matter. If he wishes to be trained by Jiraiya, then fine. If he wishes to stay with us, then better."

"But…"

"My decision is final! Understand?"

"Hai." They whispered dejectedly.

"Kenji-san?" The Hokage asked

"Hm."

"I must tell you… Team Seven will leave tomorrow, just before the sun rises, on a mission to the Wave country to escort a certain man named Tazuna-san."

"Oh?"

"Hai. Naruto had requested for a tougher mission and thus, they were given this assignment."

"Sou ka."

* * *

_/Dream:_

_It was an eerie quiet. The hallways of the place felt cold even as Hinata wore three layers of clothing over her skin. Her tiny frame felt fear as the wind howled its anger against her weak flesh._

_"Mama? Mama, where are you? I'm scared!"_

_The shadows of the room cornered her, embracing her in a loveless embrace. The moon gazed down at her, lighting the room enough to show her the one she sought for._

_"Mother?" She weakly asked, her tiny body shaking as she fought off the sobs threatening to overtake her._

_"Mother, why are you lying there? Mother, why did you leave me? Why did you have to die?"_

_:End Dream/_

"Hush. It's only a dream, Hinata. Only a dream..." Hinata's mother murmured comfortingly, quietly brushing away Hinata's tears with the cloth in her hands.

Hiashi stared at his daughter and wife, wishing to comfort the child but unwilling to seem weak… "Hinata, it's only a dream. Hyuga's are not supposed to cry because of such trivial things." He whispered, closing his eyes in anger, towards himself and towards their family traditions. He closed the shoji doors of Hinata's room and walked away, towards the pavilion. Passing by Neji's room, he peeked inside. He frowned slightly upon noticing the prodigy's open window. Immediately he asked the younger boy. "Why are your windows open, Neji?"

"He watches over me. He keeps my dreams away…."

"Neji?"

"I'm no longer alone…" Neji whispered, making sure that his voice was low enough to be unheard by the older Hyuga.

To be continued…..

**AN:** Hope you like this…

**Chibi P-chan:** REVIEW PLEASE!


	6. Revealing Secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

**By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01**

Chapter 05 : Revealing Secrets

Team 7's first mission was to escort a certain man to Wave Country; an ordinary C-rank mission.

They had decided to take the most direct route to Wave Country for the man needed to get there within two days, unscratched. Kakashi alone could have gone to wave country and back in a day and a half but with the added burden of three genins who bickered non-stop and a simple businessman who had absolutely no knowledge of chakra and jutsus, their going was slow. They had been walking for a day and a few hours already and they were but two or three miles away from the first sentry gate of Wave Country.

Naruto was half-whining, half-chatting to Sakura while the pink-haired girl kept on answering back in a mean tone as she continued to dart glances towards her not-so-secret crush. Sasuke was stoic as ever, observing the trees in passing and trying his best to tamp down on his obvious annoyance at his team mates antics.

Kakashi's visible eye curved up into an inverted crescent—the only sign that he was grinning—as he watched the interaction of the three. He wondered of they noticed what he noticed…?

Splat!

Kakashi looked down to find that he had stepped into a puddle of clear liquid, looking around he noticed that similar puddles of the same liquid were scattered around the ground. /_Puddles of…water. Hmm/_ He crouched down on one knee and dipped two fingers in the cool liquid. He rubbed his fingers together and licked it. /_Puddles of…water, indeed./ _

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke was watching him.

Naruto, Sakura and the man stopped walking and looked back at them at Sasuke's question. Sakura's eyes clearly showing her curiosity.

Kakashi stood up and started walking again. "It's nothing. I just noticed the sudden appearance of these puddles of water," he casually waved an arm around at the puddles of clear, cool water around.

Everyone with the exception of Naruto glanced at the puddles. Naruto walked to the edge of the trail and bent down to touch the grass, a weird smile on his face. Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the blonde's actions before filing this away for future reference.

"It's nothing. Let's move on, we need to get to Wave Country by nightfall," Kakashi said.

Three heads nodded at him, Naruto's voice rang out. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go! Don't worry. I, Uzumaki Naruto, will protect you from harm!" He squinted his eyes at them and gave a cheeky grin that oddly enough reminded Sasuke of a fox grinning at his prey. Sasuke quickly shook the absurd thought off as they continued on with their interrupted journey.

"Dobe. You can't even protect yourself from my attacks."

"You asshole! I can, and you know it! I just let you beat me!" Naruto whirled around.

"Sasuke-san is right, Naruto."

"Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto whined in a high voice.

Kakashi glanced at their client and sighed at the sight of the man's curious eyes. "Naruto, stop whining and watch where you're going. We're on a mission, not training, and your duty is front guard. Messing up now would cost a person's life."

Kakashi watched the effect of his words on the group who fell silent for a while, contemplating. They walked on.

Shadows skimmed the surfaces of the puddles. It could have been a trick of what sunlight could pass through the thick canopy of trees above them. No one noticed anyway.

Out of the puddle Kakashi had knelt by slowly rose a disembodied arm bearing a dark chain.

Team 7 walked on, bickering among themselves.

Suddenly two shadows darted out of the aforementioned puddle bearing weird weapons that looked like dark chains with a heavy point at one end; the other end of the chain wrapped around one arm. They rushed over the ground in Kakashi's direction; their feet seem to never touch the hard-packed dirt.

In synchronized motion, the two mysterious nins threw the pointed ends of their weapons in Kakashi's direction.

The heavy ends shot out ahead of Kakashi and wrapped around his body, pinning his limbs and rendering him immobile.

"Attack!" Kakashi managed to get out before his breath shortened to a mere gasp.

Sasuke was the first to notice the two unknown presences. He immediately stopped walking and arranged his body in a half-crouch, scanning his surroundings, taking in his distance relative to a variety of points in his immediate vicinity, noting the ideal places for disappearing into, all the while giving himself a mental run through the various jutsus he could use in this fight.

Sakura, who had been idly chatting with their client, heard Kakashi's warning and spun around quickly, her green eyes widening at the sight. "Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto, who had also turned when he heard Kakashi's voice stood stock-still, his face ashen blue eyes mere pinpricks on clear white.

The two mysterious nins yanked hard on the chains. The chains tightened around Kakashi's body and the sound of his cracking bones rang sickeningly in the balmy morning air. The chains wrapped around him tightened even more and cut into muscle and bone. Blood gushed out of Kakashi's body and painted the world red. The black chains slackened around the limp and broken body of their sensei and were quickly drawn back by their owner's.

Sakura wanted to scream but her ninja training absolutely forbid her to. Sasuke's lips were set in a thin grim line, eyes focused on his enemies. Their client choked and gagged as he and the other's were splattered with blood. Naruto still frozen was now trembling.

The air was rank with coppery scent. It was difficult to breathe without feeling the urge to retch.

All this occurred in the span of three seconds.

* * *

Kakashi was perched on a tree five meters to Sasuke's right. He had masked his charka and drawn up his hitai-ate forehead protector upwards to reveal one blood red sharingan eye. 

He had noticed the puddles of water even before 'he' stepped on one. The pair of nins who were sent to attack them were very good at hiding their chakra and controlling their weapons. But the puddles of water on a bright sunny morning were a dead give away.

The Demon Brothers were about to attack.

Kakashi had heard of them during a conversation with fellow nins. Not really very powerful, unlike Uchiha Itachi and Orochimaru were, but dangerous in their own right. They were given the moniker 'Demon Brothers' by the survivors of a rural village they massacred in the middle of the night. According to reports they had come down on the village like a pair of rampaging demons out of puddles of water, killing and burning, the air rent with the sound of screams, the scent of blood and charred remains.

Since then puddles of water had become their trademark. /_And their folly._/ Kakashi thought. Their arrogance is their folly and death.

An old lesson rang clear in Kakashi's head.

_/The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy./_

_/To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Hence was the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it. /_

What all the six humans on the forest trail below did not know was that they were actually in an illusion he had created. It had expended a lot of chakra on his part but it was essential to his plan.

Everything from the moment 'Kakashi' had stepped on that puddle of water was an illusion. His actions, his death, his blood were all an illusion.

Kakashi sweatdropped, remembering Sakura's cry of 'Kakashi-sensei'/_Did they really think I could be defeated that easily/_

He had actually given hints that something was amiss like the fact that HE did NOT notice the puddles of water until he had stepped on one. A ninja was always observant of his surroundings, especially when he himself was out in the open, a sitting duck for anyone to attack.

Then there was the act of tasting the water. As a ninja he knew better than to do that. Most harmless looking liquids actually were the deadliest poisons.

Then there was the part where he had said 'It's nothing' twice. Nins NEVER took anything for granted, especially the sudden 'appearance' of puddles of water when there were absolutely no nearby water sources and the grass and trees weren't damp.

And then there was that minor scolding that he had given Naruto. He wasn't one to comment unless the comment was absolutely nasty or needed. /_Besides, Iruka was very fond of Naruto…./_

Kakashi did not want to think of where that last thought had come from.

He had expended precious charka to create this illusion just so he could observe how his students would react to their first actual encounter with enemy ninjas. It also gave him an unfair advantage over the enemy.

He had been impressed that Sasuke was observant enough to notice the change in atmosphere when he had began this illusion. His question 'Kakashi-sensei' was inconspicuous enough, but he seemed to actually be asking: Kakashi-sensei, is that really you?

Naruto's actions baffled him though. It was completely unexpected of the blonde and hinted that he also knew that it was impossible for the water puddles to have appeared naturally. And the grin he had seen on Naruto's face reminded him so much of a similar grin he had seen on the face of Uchiha Itachi, during one fight to the death match Itachi participated in when he was still an adolescent, and that he had been able to watch.

Kakashi focused his attention on the events happening below. His sharingan eye observed the sudden flare in Sasuke's charka at his 'death'. The boy was crouched low in a defensive position that also allowed him to execute an attack if need be without wasting precious seconds.

The two ninjas seemed to disappear and re-appear behind Naruto. Naruto's trembling was now even more pronounced. But Kakashi suspected that this was not from fear. With the sharingan activated, he saw how Naruto's chakra surrounded him like red flames. The Kyuubi's charka. But Naruto's charka was …hazy, translucent. As if the charka was not really there but reaching somewhere else. /_What's going on with Naruto/_

The Demon Brothers threw back their weighted chains in preparation of throwing these in Naruto's direction.

Kakashi took note of the way Sasuke's charka had disappeared for a split second and flared back to life in the next. A smirk graced his lips as he swung his gaze from Sasuke to Naruto and back again. /_Well, well, well…What do we have here/_

Sasuke jumped high, grabbing a shuriken from his pouch and throws it, then grabs a kunai this time and throws it at the point where the two chains intersect, pinning both the chains and the Demon Brothers to the tree trunk behind them. The first shuriken had missed and disappeared in the woods beyond.

Sasuke landed on the two ninjas' backs and places twin strong kicks to their jaws.

_/Show-off./_ Kakashi muttered to himself mentally as the two ninjas smashed into the ground.

Sasuke threw a quick glance at Naruto and glared.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, watching as Naruto slowly came back to his senses. A smirk appeared on his face as his mouth formed the next words. "Scaredy-cat…" He watched disinterested as his teammate's eyes widened and his body stilled in place… like a statue.

The ninjas on the ground quickly got rid of their useless weapons and charged towards Team 7's client, katanas in hand. In an attempt to protect Tazuna, Sakura placed herself between him and the attacking nins, crouching down into a defense position. Sasuke, seeing this, leapt and knocked his body slightly against Sakura to send her to the sides. Standing guard before Tazuna, he prepared to receive the oncoming attacks, a kunai in his hand.

Two katanas wielded by nins against a genin with a kunai. Time for me to join the fight again! Kakashi thought as he pulled his hitai-ate band back into place and jumped off the tree to join the fight below.

Sasuke felt the beads of his sweat roll down the sides of his face. But there wasn't time to wipe it off. He paid close attention to the body motions of the two mysterious nins who had attacked them, trying to guess their thoughts. /_Two katanas against my kunai… Think, Sasuke, think/_

The attacking ninjas came to a sudden halt.

Mystified, Sasuke craned his neck to gain a different perspective.

Behind them, Kakashi's visible eye was crinkled in what Sasuke guessed was laughter, holding the two nins by their necks.

Kakashi quickly sent a jolt of chakra through the brothers that rendered them unconscious.

"Oi!" he greeted his two students as both students gawked at him…well, at least Sasuke did so with a degree of his usual poise. Then the usual cool was back in place and he crouched down again in a defensive position.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura trailed off. She rubbed her eyes and pinched herself. "Sasuke-san? Do you see what I see?"

"If you're talking about me, Sakura, then yes, I think you're not hallucinating and Sasuke also sees me and I am alive. And well." Kakashi's voice dripped with a mix of healthy sarcasm and laughter.

Sakura refused to rise to the taunt. Instead she turned her head around to see where she knew Kakashi's broken and bloody body rested.

The body was gone. The splatters of blood and puddles of water seemed to have never existed.

Sakura whirled back around. " Sasuke! Kakashi's b—"

Sasuke glared at her. "It could only be an illusion. Be ready to attack him. There's only one way to find out if this is really Kakashi-sensei."

And Team 7 spent the rest of the next 15 minutes sparring with Kakashi who halfway through the fight had pulled out his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, much to the amazement of their client. When Sasuke and Sakura finally lay beaten on the ground, Sasuke announced in disbelief: "You are Kakashi-sensei".

Kakashi gave him a noogie for that.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing fighting Kakashi-sensei without me? You'll never win that way! Come on, Sakura-chan, let's team up against Kakashi!"

The two other genins in the group sweatdropped.

"You froze up in the middle of an actual fight, idiot." Sasuke pointed out. "But what can we expect out of a dobe anyway?"

"Why you!" Naruto bickered with Sasuke for the rest of the trip to wave country.

But something was different with the blonde boy, Kakashi sensed. /_What happened to him during the fight/_

* * *

Naruto stared up at the dark, starry night, relishing the smell and feel of the cool night wind blowing past his face. He sighed. /_Who was that? And why won't Kyuubi tell me who he is? What does he want from me/_

_/Flashback_

_Naruto had long noticed the two presences that had been trailing them since they had cleared Konoha forest. He knew they were there; Kyuubi's senses told him. But he couldn't pinpoint their locations. They kept on shifting from place to place._

_Then Kakashi had noticed the puddles. He suspected Kakashi knew about the two all along. The two unnamed nins were very good at trailing their targets and veiling their chakra. And with lots of life energies scattered in the forest, it would have been a waste of time to try to locate them using such means._

_But as soon as they came across the clearing with random puddles of water strewn about, Naruto knew who they were dealing with. The Demon Brothers. He had heard of the Demon Brothers from his aniki and knew that puddles of water were their trademark. But to be sure, he had taken the time to kneel by a few grasses that grew at the edge of the trail, checking if the blades and the soil below it were wet. They were not. This was the work of the Demon Brothers._

_These thoughts ran through Naruto's head, the memory of his grandfather's soothing voice and the words he kept on repeating to himself much like a calming mantra. He needed to pretend that nothing was different, that he knew nothing. The Naruto that Team 7 knew would not know these things. He needed to calm down. He needed to fight the blood rush._

_Kyuubi was getting excited at the chance to duke it out with nins whom he could kill._

_"…All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is superior in strength, evade him. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected…"_

_And Naruto intended to do just that… the lesson that had been ingrained in him._

_Naruto began to gather chakra to create an illusion jutsu to rival Kakashi-sensei's own, that he only now perceived. _

_But as he began to let out a small amount of his and Kyuubi's chakra a foreign force seemed to take control over him, and he was drawn away to a place in perpetual darkness, where he could not feel or see, and a disembodied voice began talking to him..._

_End Flashback/_

Naruto shook off his thoughts. /_But my team mates and Kakashi-sensei said they saw my body, and that I wasn't moving. What happened? What? All I remember is…./_

"Are you hurt? ...Scaredy-cat…"

_/What? Was that… Sasuke? But when did that happen... I don't remember…/_

"Dobe, quit muttering nonsense and go to sleep." A dark voice growled to his left.

"Teme." He answered back, a hint of affection softening the harsh word.

* * *

AN (from Paranoia-shoujo): To those who know my writing style, you would probably notice that the first part of this chapter did NOT come from me… and you are RIGHT! The earlier scene is solely the work of lain-trigger01, the writer of Grow Old With You. . For those who like sappy SasuNaru, I suggest you read it. Oh, and this is the proof-read version of the chapter. 

AN (from lain-trigger): Sap! I shall stop! I shall stop! I have become a fountain of sap grr… hope you like it!

AN(both): BACK TO THE FIC!

* * *

"I should've known!" Sakura muttered exasperated, as she watched Naruto stumble yet again, almost falling face-down if not for the fast reflexes of the Uchiha walking beside him. They were again traveling towards the Wave Country or rather the village wherein they would be staying. Their pace faster than before as Kakashi worried that another attack may cripple them. 

"Let me go, asshole!" The blonde screamed at his raven-haired teammate, seemingly annoyed at his own clumsiness.

Sasuke blinked owlishly before replying. "Dobe." Immediately he let go as he saw Naruto gain back his sense of balance. Kakashi sighed, mentally counting to five as he waited for the grand explosion. /_5…4…3…2…1/_

"I'VE HAD IT!" Sakura screamed, stalking towards Naruto. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you! Wasn't it enough that you stole Sasuke-kun's first kiss, you freak! You even had the gall to merely freeze in a fight and make Sasuke-kun fight for you! You…." She continued screaming, blissfully ignorant of the reddening of her aforementioned 'Sasuke-kun' and the raised eyebrow of their pervert sensei.

_/Naruto ….? Sasuke's FIRST kiss/_ He thought, discreetly watching the Uchiha's cherry face return to its normal color. He stifled a snicker as the image of Sasuke in a wedding dress and Naruto in a tux invaded his mind. /_Or is it the other way round…/_ He almost guffawed as the scene in his head changed to Naruto in a gown and Sasuke in a tux….

"Get your mind out of the gutter, sensei!" The pink-haired kunoichi yelled once she finally noticed the perverted smirk on Kakashi's face as he watched the two uncomfortable genins before him.

"…"

* * *

"Shikamaru! Chouji! We need to train!" Ino shouted as she stood before the barbeque house that her two teammates frequented to. As she continued ranting outside the shop, the owner of the restaurant sighed, sweatdropping at the typical scene. His eyes briefly scanned the room, trying with all his might to locate his two usual patrons. However to his great surprise, they were nowhere to be found. Before he could question his other customers of the location of the duo, he was thrown back by the frightening aura surrounding the enraged blonde. "Where are they?" She growled, her eyes turning to slits, it was obvious that she was not pleased. 

"Ino? What are you doing here?" Asuma asked amused, he had originally been patrolling when he passed the barbeque house. Greatly amused by the scene his student caused, he did not interrupt her tirade till now. He was about to tell her that her two teammates were already at the training grounds when he remembered the conversation he had heard the night before. He smirked, Shikamaru and Chouji had told him of the plan after realizing that he had caught them, and in turn he had promised his cooperation.

"Asuma-sensei? I was looking for Chouji and Shikamaru. We were supposed to be training…" The girl supplied as she looked down to her hands, embarrassed. "I swear I'll kill them…" She muttered darkly.

Asuma raised an eyebrow after hearing the quiet statement. Shaking his head, he told her. "From what I remember, I saw them in the ramen house nearby the Academy… and by the way, training is already finished… we were wondering why you didn't come…"

"What!"

"I told your father that you cut training today…"

"But!"

"Don't worry, he understands…"

"But I…."

"I have to go now… bye."

"But sensei…" Before she could continue however, he disappeared.

Hours later, a feminine voice could be heard screaming. "SHIKAMARU!"

* * *

"Are you sure that it's alright to do that, Shika…?" 

"SHIKAMARU!" Chouji's question was silenced the moment he heard their female teammate's angry shout. His chubby face paled considerably as his mind conjured a tearful scene of their death by Ino's hand.

"'s alright." The Nara child replied as he lay comfortably at the shadow of the Sakura tree.

"Sure?" Chouji asked, still worried.

"'course." They stayed there for awhile, watching the sky bleed red as the sun set herself on a journey to the west.

Shikamaru closed his eyes tiredly. In truth, he wasn't sure on the prank they pulled but in his mind, it was better to calm his friend than to tell him his worries. Actually, there was another reason to why he chose to go through with it today and it all started 12 hours ago…

_/Flashback_

_"Shikamaru. Wake up before your mother storms here." His father prodded him as he lay sleepy on his futon. Without saying a word, he stood up, walking slowly towards the kitchen where he knew his mother was. But before he could enter the room fully, he pulled back… his eyes widening as he listened in on his mother and sister's conversation._

_"From what I heard, he's on a mission with Hatake-san… along with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura." Ameko, Shikamaru's older sister, whispered._

_"Oh?"_

_"Hai."_

_"… That boy…such admirable strength… Losing a family not only once but still able to live day by day with a smile…"_

_"But mother…? Isn't his brother alive?"_

_"That we do not know… It has been six years since he was last seen. Everyone believes him to be dead…"_

_"Poor Uzumaki… he loved his aniki so much…"_

_"Just like you did, Ameko?"_

_"I do NOT like that idiot! I hate him… stupid Ryuu."_

_"As you say…"_

_End Flashback/_

"They were talking about Naruto…" Shikamaru whispered unknowingly

"Huh? You said something, Shika?"

"No."

"Ah, ok!" And they again fell back to the silence….

To be continued…..

**Paranoia's notes:** Looks like I really can't make a cliffhanger…. pouts Anyway, this fic is now being co-authored by lain-trigger01 who is also my beta-reader. Hope you like it. Review…. Criticize….. but do NOT flame! ;;

**..:REVIEWS' CORNER:.. **

**To Kori Nibiki:** Thanks for the review! And for reading up to chap4!

**To May**: I can't promise anything since I naturally lean to SasuNaru.

**To Wolfgirl13:** Thanks!

**To burningshadow:** ItaIru. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter… my muse has left me with a writer's block.

**To lilvietdevilgrl:** Thanks!

**To Night-Owl123:** Thanks for the review!

**To ghostninja85:** Thanks!

**To ManicReversed:** Thanks for the review!

**To RuByMoOn17:** Thanks for always reviewing my story!


	7. Unraveling Fears

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

**By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01**

Chapter 06 : Unraveling Fears

"You seem amused…" The voice trailed off as he raised a cup of tea to his lips.

"…" (Speechless….. Hn.)

"Is something the matter?" He asked as his companion remained silent, his eyebrow rising at the expression on the other's face.

"…The young Uchiha amuses me. His power over the young Uzumaki is laughable if you see them fighting."

"What do you mean?"

"He was able to break the trance I put on the poor boy….even I only the barest of seconds."

"You put a WHAT on my grandson!"

"No need to be angry over a simple fact, Uzumaki-san."

"…"

"It was needed."

"But I still do not understand why…"

"It had to be done."

"What? Get Naruto in danger?"

"No. Stop him from unleashing the power of the Kyuubi…"

"But…"

"It is not yet the right time."

"Why?" A third voice asked. (I wonder who he is…)

"Because of **_him_**…."Jiraiya answered, his eyes growing to mere slits as he glared at the cup lying innocently before him.

"Him? Who?" The stranger's voice again asked.

"My… rival… Orochimaru."

"What has he got to do with that fight?"

"Nothing."

"Then?"

"He has spies everywhere. It is better to be safe."

"I can't help but ask, what did you mean about Sasuke breaking part of the spell that you placed on my nephew?" Hitori (It is finally revealed… at last!) asked as he raised his eyes to meet Jiraiya's gaze.

"His words cut through my illusion so that Naruto heard him…. But it was only for the barest of seconds. I believe that Naruto would think it only a dream…"

"And this amuses you because?" Kenji wondered as he glanced at the smirking sannin before staring in askance towards his son.

"Not even Tsunade or Itachi can break a seal of mine."

"What about Orochimaru?"

"…"

"Jiraiya?"

"I do not know…"

* * *

That night...

"Ruto." Ayako whispered in the silence of her room. She had asked a day off from the Hokage and her request was received graciously as none of the Uzumakis before her had asked such.

"Ayako, are you well?" Kenji asked as he slid open the shoji door to enter his granddaughter's room. His brow creased with worry, not only for the young heir of his beloved daughter but also for his one and only granddaughter.

"Grampa?" Ayako murmured, her quiet tone making her seem like a child. "I'm worried." She continued, tears spilling off her closed eyes.

"Why?"

"I dream… Plagued am I with nightmares of Naruto's demise…. It's horrible." Whimpering, her huddled form creating an illusion of a little girl forced too early to grow.

"Dreams?"

"Hai. They…. They wish to hurt Naruto…. And I can do nothing to help him. I feel so helpless. I'm so weak… I can't even protect the people I care about. I'm useless. Just like back then…." She cried out as tears continued to overflow from her.

"Do not blame yourself, Ayako. The past is nothing more but the past." He whispered, letting his large hand wipe away the tears.

"But…"

"Hush. It was you who brought him back to us. You helped him, comforted him. He asks nothing more. Now, sleep. Do not exhaust yourself. He is strong, he will live and come back to us. Just like back then."

"Hai. Arigatou, jii-san."

Minutes after Ayako fell in sleep's embrace, Kenji stood approaching the window to address the shadow that had watched the exchange.

"I would appreciate it if you would keep your silence on what has transpired here."

"You are worried."

"Of course I am."

"Why?"

"It has only been now that my family has been united… I would not wish for any of them to leave just yet."

"And?"

"The knowledge of their weakness could cost them their life."

''I see."

"Why have you come back?"

"I forgot to tell you a few things."

"…"

"His enemies are fast approaching, will you not warn him?"

"Naruto? No, I can only train him to be stronger. Stronger than those who wish him dead."

"Hn. I will keep my silence but I will train him… whether he approves or not."

"Why?"

"He is his father's son. He is like a grandson to me."

"Very well. Thank you, Jiraiya."

"…"

"Fare thee well."

* * *

_/Flashback(Ayako's 2nd dream)_

_Ayako was walking aimlessly in the deep forests of Konohagakure. Her small feet making light trails as she strolled through the path. A sound caught her ear as she neared the small river far from her home. Her small eyes widened as she gasped, her eyes tearing at the sight before her. Under the big oak(?) tree was a boy, bruised in various places and bleeding profusely. Stealthily, she ran to his side and looked him over, her small fingers delicately touching a large bruise on the side of his pale face (Yes, Naruto's skin is sun-kissed. The reason why he's pale is because of blood loss.). Involuntarily, she let out a cry. His skin was burning, hot to the touch… _

_"Ayako!" A voice shouted from a distance. "Imouto! Where are you!"_

_Hearing her aniki, she had to smile. If there was one who could help the poor boy, it was her older brother. 'I'm sure Ran-niisan could help him.' Feeling resolved and assured, she replied to his loud inquiries. "Here, niisan. I'm HERE!"_

_"There you are…" He managed to say before his thoughts left him. Blinking in a curious manner, he asked Ayako. "…What…? Who's that?" Pointing behind her, he whispered._

_Feeling infinitely sadder at his unkind approach, she responded. "… I don't know… but he's sick and I saw him lying here… Look, he's younger than us both… It would be cruel to leave him here to die."_

_Frowning, he shook his head. "You know the rules, Aya-chan. We must abide them… even if they sound too cruel. No one other than clan members and the Hokage can enter the family grounds..." '…except those adopted through the blood ritual… they could be considered family… but….I doubt the elders would go through with it…' he thought dismally as he stared at her with solemn eyes._

_"Can't we make an exception?" _

_Trying to reason with her, he whispered tersely. "It would upset not only father but also the…"_

_"I don't care! I'm not leaving him!" she shouted miserably, her eyes screaming in frustration._

_"Ayako, be reasonable…."_

_"Reasonable? You want me to be reasonable! I'm being reasonable! You're being cruel! Just like them!"_

_"…Aya…" He groaned helplessly, his eyes growing weary at the impertinence his sister was showing._

_"I'll stay with him. Leave if you want… But I will stay." Thus said, she turned away from him. Turning to look at the intruder, she bowed low before whispering. "Father."_

_"What is this I hear? You, Ayako, wish to help a stranger?"_

_"He is but a child, I will not leave him."_

_"Oh."_

_"Can't we take him, father?"_

_"No, we can't."_

_"But…"_

_"My decision is final."_

_"…Fine! Then forget you even had a daughter!" And with those words, Ayako, turned to the injured boy and both vanished with a gust of the wind._

_It took days, weeks… a whole month and a half before any of them ever saw her again. None of the elders were pleased with her disobedience but not could outright attack her as the head, Uzumaki Kenji, had proclaimed her under his protection._

_"Where is she now, Hitori?" Kenji asked his son as they played a game of Go one sunny afternoon._

_Silence answered him as Hitori remained hushed, quietly sipping his tea. Minutes ticked by until he broke the tense air that surrounded them. "I last saw her in the other side of the forest, training the boy she calls Naruto."_

_"Naruto?"_

_"The boy she saved." He replied unconcerned._

_"And where is the boy's family? And for that matter, who is he?"_

_"I have asked the villagers, he is Sho Naruto."_

_"The Sho family?" Kenji asked, his head tilted to the side to show his curiosity._

_"Yes, father."_

_"The son of Kyoko and Takemi?" He inquired again._

_"Yes, the younger brother of Sho Ryuu."_

_"…"_

_"Is there a problem, father?"_

_"Fetch them, Naruto and Ayako."_

_"The elders would not be pleased."_

_"They have no say in this. I am not breaking any of the given rules either way."_

_"Nani?"_

_"That boy is family…"_

_"…do you mean…?"_

_"Yes, Hikaru's son… Uzumaki Naruto."_

_End Flashback/_

**AN (Paranoia-shoujo)**: The next part of the chapter was supposed to come from lain-trigger01 but since both of us are busy with college life, I hope this chapter can satisfy you until I get to the Zabuza and Haku part. Sorry for the extremely late update. Please review.

**..:REVIEWS' CORNER:..**

**To SasuNaru123:** Hi! Sorry for the mistake, I forgot to proofread it. I reread chapter 5 and cleared that one up. The title is Latin, I think. It means "Protector and Avenger". I thought it would fit the story better than the former title.

**To Night-Owl123:** Sorry for the extremely long wait. Here's the next chapter.


	8. Whispering Betrayal

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**PPS:** The italicized words are flashbacks.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

**By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01**

Chapter 07 : Whispering Betrayal

Silence cloaked the forest. It seemed as if it was waiting… anticipating. But anticipating what? No one knew…

The stillness broke however when a whisper of soft footfalls on the damp forest floor echoed through the place. Sighing, Ran pushed himself away from the tree trunk he was previously leaning on. Turning to face the newcomer, he let out a soft 'Hn.' in recognition.

His companion briefly smirked at his greeting, before letting his face melt into an impenetrable mask of neutrality. "Hello Ran." He whispered, his voice like silk… inviting… seducing… a caressing melody of stringed words. The very opposite of his cold and hardened expression…

"Akito." Ran replied, slightly glaring at the young Akatsuki member.

Silence. No one spoke, not even the natural habitants of the forest vicinity… afraid they were to shatter the hostile air about them.

"What have you gotten from them?" Ran asked, impatient.

Akito frowned, his eyes darting from side to side to ensure that no spies were around to betray him and his taciturn companion. Feeling relatively safe, he whispered. "He has chosen his side, the child of the desert."

"And?" he prompted.

"He stands against the blood moon."

It was minutes before Ran spoke again, his eyes gazing at the moonlit surroundings. "Do any of them suspect you?"

Smirk. "No."

"Not even the famed Uchiha?" Ran asked semi-curiously. / _I wonder if Itachi has caught on the fact that we sent another ninja to join him… /_

A quirk of the eyebrows. "He has been acting strangely… and apparently, far too busy to notice."

Raised eyebrow.

Smirk.

"Are you not afraid of the consequences of your betrayal?" Ran inquired.

"I've betrayed no one…"

"…"

"My loyalty lies not in Akatsuki but in myself, therefore it is not betrayal as I never pledged loyalty to them." The silver-haired teen replied, his tone faltering at the sight shown before him. Beams of silver light danced on the golden brown hair of his aloof companion, illuminating his slender physique, utterly stealing Akito's breath from him.

At his pause, Ran raised an eyebrow, silently asking him what the problem was… and at the same time, was scrutinizing the older teen before him. Quietly, he compared his silver-haired companion to his bestfriend, Itachi. Being merely sixteen years of age, Ran was denied the opportunity of having a mission outside the hold of the Uzumaki's, and a long term espionage assignment such as the one Akito had, was given to Itachi. Not that the silver haired lad knew it but they were in the same line of work in the group…

After five minutes of mere staring, Ran voiced his question. "Akito-san? Is there a problem?"

Blinking owlishly, he shrugged. His eyes softening at the younger boy's confused gaze. /_So powerful and yet so naïve…/_ he thought as he briefly closed his eyes.

"You are too trusting, Akito-san." Ran murmured as his kunai landed a few centimeters from where Akito was formerly standing.

A smirk answered him as Akito reappeared before him, leaning a bit to close to his face. "And you are far too naïve, young wolf…. Until next time…"

Akito replied as he brushed his lips to Ran's tanned cheek, successfully throwing him off guard.

A growl. "Sometimes I wish Itachi would kill you…" Ran remarked into the night, closing his eyes wearily.

**AN(Paranoia-shoujo): To be clear, Akito doesn't know anything about Itachi being a spy or anything, okay? And Itachi doesn't know that either.**

"I wonder how Naruto is…?" Ran mused as he moved away from forest to the direction of their house.

* * *

_/Flashback_

"…_That boy is family…"_

"…_do you mean…?"_

"_Yes, Hikaru's son… Uzumaki Naruto."_

_Ran had heard everything. The young boy that Ayako had insisted on saving was family, their younger cousin… the true heir of their clan. Smirking in a bittersweet manner, he thought about how he had always hoped to meet him but his dream was destroyed when the Hokage proclaimed him gone from their lives. It had hurt him, as he had promised on the grave of his favourite aunt that he would protect the little child. Alas, he had been cheated. The boy was alive, and he was the first to turn him away. Sighing, he heard his grandfather call him into the room._

"_I suppose you have heard everything, Ran?" Kenji murmured in askance._

"_Hokage-sama has informed us of his demise, ne?"_

"_He was lying, he merely didn't think it best for us to have Naruto."_

"_Doushite?"_

"_Hn. I assume you know why I called you?"_

"_Hai."_

"_Very well. Go!"_

"_Hai."_

* * *

"_RAMEN! Onee-san, I want ramen!" Naruto shouted out as he pulled the frowning female behind him._

"_But Naru-chan…. Too much ramen is bad for you." She intoned as they entered the busy marketplace._

"_Ramen tastes so good though…." Naruto pouted as Ayako stared down at him._

"_Fine."_

"_Yay! Ramen, ramen! I want ramen!" Naruto dutifully chanted as he skipped towards Ichiraku. Looking back to his oneechan while walking backwards, he failed to notice the small timid girl behind him._

"_Naruto! Watch out!" Ayako gasped as her young charge bumped to the other child. Every action seemed to slow down at that point… until the two kids fell down into heap on the ground._

_Naruto confused at the sudden dizziness he felt, just blinked his largte blue eyes in a kawaii manner that the girl he bumped into flushed a deep crimson._

"_HINATA!" A booming voice was heard from the audience as a slightly muscular man with a shock of long dark purple hair moved away from the assembly of people to dully stare at his daughter. "Stand up!" He said, frowning. "A Hyuga must never appear weak…" Thus said, he turned his back to her and left._

_The young girl sniffled delicately, understanding without words that she has again shamed her clan. Standing up on wobbly legs, she mentally ordered them to start walking. Unfortunately, her weak legs rallied against her and she came stumbling down… possibly hurting herself more if not for the quick reflexes of the teen beside her._

"_Onee-chan..?" She heard from behind. Turning, she realized that it was the boy from before._

"_Hai, Naru?" The female supporting her replied._

"_Is she alright? I really really am sorry…" He whispered, his heart feeling like heavy lead inside him. Turning to Hinata, he bowed, murmuring. "Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to… uh…"_

"_bump" Ayako whispered to his ear before straightening when Naruto continued his apology._

"_uh…bump… into you. Really sorry!" he continued, bowing even lower to show his sincerity._

_Briefly, Hinata let a blush steal into her cheeks before letting her small hand fall into his golden locks. Smiling, she whispered that he needed not to apologize and that she was fine._

_A few blocks behind them, Neji silently watched. Confusion overruling his anger, he murmured a name. "Naruto."_

_End Flashback/_

* * *

"How much you've grown, Naruto."

"Talking to yourself, Ran?" Ayako snickered from behind him.

Turning to her, he was pleased to note of her recovery. "Hn. Will you be taking a mission?" He asked, briefly noticing that she was wearing her ANBU uniform with her fox mask tightly in her left hand.

"Of course."

"…"

"So?" Ayako asked, knowing that Ran understood her question.

"The desert child…"

"…"

"We no longer have to worry about him."

Smiling, Ayako turned to him. "Thank the heavens."

As she left, Ran whispered his words of farewell. "Be careful… imouto."

* * *

Somewhere in Hidden Sand, a young boy with deep crimson hair was looking outside the training dojo that the Kage, their father gave them.

"A boy like me?" He whispered, unintentionally catching his older sister's attention.

"Gaara?" Temari called out, but he paid her no mind.

"…soon, we will meet…., demon of Konoha…"

* * *

"I don't understand why this has to happen. Of all the times it could, why now?" His words however fell on deaf ears, as none of his other companions seem to have heard him. Kyle frowned, his new teammates were boring… extremely so. Now that he thought about it, the more he missed the old days. Shrugging, he scolded himself for his slip into the past… his memories. Looking forward to the desert, he posed a question to the kunoichi beside him.

"From what clan are you?"

"…"

Silence answered him, yet again. Turning to look at his other teammate, he asked. "Is she always like this?"

"…" /Silence again. _No wonder I thought life as boring… they're both boring… and deathly quiet…/_

"Is there no possible way of making the two of you answer me?" Frustrated, he inquired.

"…"

"…….I come from the Chi clan." Omi whispered, as if fearing that the slightest noise would disturb the utter calm that surrounded the place.

"Chi? As in blood?"

"Hai."

"How about you, Ayako?"

"…"

"Aren't you ever going to open your mouth to reply?"

"…"

"It doesn't kill, you know?"

"…"

"Ayako?"

"I highly doubt that it's any of your business."

"I'm just trying to friendly, you know."

"I don't need it."

"…but…"

"Silence."

"…but…"

"We are here." Ayako announced as they stood before the Hidden Village... of Sand.

* * *

"Everything is going as planned."

"Hai, and they don't even know that they've been betrayed."

"It seems Konoha is still far too trusting. Ah yes, their blood would be good enough payment…for now. After all, I didn't succeed in taking the young Sasuke. But I will. Sooner or later, I will win."

Fufufufufu

And the darkness showed only the silhouettes of these two men who plan to bring upon destruction to their enemies. /_Konoha, you will pay. And I will not only have my revenge but also your most prized child./_

Fufufufufu

To be Continued….

**..:REVIEWS' CORNER:..**

**To foxylittlechibi:** I would also like to update more but I'm afraid that I'm having a hard time with my studies at the moment and I'd have to focus more on my physics, math and computer studies right now. I'm not really sure about your computer acting weird. I'll try to email you sometime soon. Hope you read on even though I'm not much of a faithful updater. Thanks for reading.

**To SasuNaru-kun:** Thanks for the enthusiastic review. Hope you read on.

**To Night-Owl123:** I'll try! Thanks for your time, not only in reading but also for the many reviews.

**To RuByMoOn17:** Blink Blink I'm still alive!

**To animelvr4evr:** I'm sorry for the confusion. Naruto is Hikaru's son. He was adopted by Sho Takemi and Kyoko. I believe that I stated that little fact in the second chapter. I really am sorry. Please continue reading on.

**To Ulitheal:** Well, thanks for reading. Hope you won't be disappointed in how this story would continue.

**To Firehedgehog:** Thanks!

**To Lady Geuna:** Grin Kakashi and Itachi? I suppose it's fine… And KakashiIruka? Chuckle I just hope you won't be disappointed in my final pairings. Thanks for reading & for the review.

**To quaebah24:** Thanks! Hope you'll like this chapter!

**To insanechildfanfic:** Hi! Thanks for the review!


	9. Fighting Myself

**AN: **I don't think I can update for a long long time. I have summer classes at the moment and would most probably be able to update on June. I really am sorry that I don't update as much as I should. Oh, and this chapter was made mostly by lain-trigger01. Thanks for reading.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01

Chapter 08 : Fighting myself

Hidden amidst the foliage of the forest was a young figure in a dark gi and hakama. A painted animal mask hid his face from public view, while a metal band engraved with a symbol of that marked him as a shinobi from Hidden Mist. He stood relaxed, facing the general direction of the fight.

Dark eyes followed the actions of Naruto.

_/There is something off about him. /_

He watched the way the blond nin fought. The boy moved with understated grace. But there was also awkwardness in the movements, as if he were adjusting to a new body, his limbs often trailing uselessly about him. _/Most of his actions involve considerable distances; he probably has poor close range taijutsus. /_ He had great stamina and most probably a large amount of chakra, seeing as to how carelessly he spent it. /But then again, maybe not/ he thought as he discovered that the clones were merely a diversionary tactic.

_/Smart. Cunning. /_

The boy's expression was that of determination. And joy, almost as if he relished the sense of danger.

_/He's enjoying this fight. /_

He was heavily reminded of a fox, a sly hunter.

His attention drifted away from the fight itself and focused on the blond boy. _/Shiny short, blond hair. Pretty blue eyes. Cute, chubby, whiskered cheeks. Moderately tanned skin. Not so bad body either. Short; probably a few years younger than me. /_

Beneath the mask, he smiled.

_/He has great... potential. This should prove interesting. /_

Closing his eyes briefly, he let the sounds of the fight pass through him. A brief pause and then he struck.

/**insert Naruto gets mad scene from the anime**/

The hunternin paused and looked at Naruto, Zabuza's body lying limp against his shoulder. _/He's amusing and his thoughts don't seem to follow the normal process that other humans do. But then again he's special. /_

He shifted the heavy weight and took in Naruto's flushed angry face. Completely by accident, his eyes caught on the boy's.

A soft whisper of breath reverberated in his ears as their eyes continued their perusal of each other. Haku's thought process halted and he seemed to fall under an enchantment.

"Naruto!"

_/So that's his name.../_ A smile spread on his lips, unseen.

As the group's grey haired sensei called the boy's attention to himself, breaking their eye contact, Haku disappeared back into the foliage of the forest with the body of Zabuza.

_/Until we meet again...Naruto./_

* * *

A beautiful boy in a pink sleeveless kimono walked into the small clearing where Naruto had fallen asleep. His long black hair reached his lower back, silky and straight. His porcelain white skin glowed where it was touched by sunlight. Dark eyes falling on the sleeping boy, he gently kneeled down on the grass beside him. After a moment's thought, he placed his small basket of herbs at his side. 

Smiling slightly, he watched the young, peaceful face, quietly touched by the innocence he found there. This boy drew him like the proverbial moth to the flame. His obvious attraction aside, he was also drawn to the boy because he reminded him of himself.

Haku let gentle fingers ghost against the features of Naruto, marveling at the long lashes that rested against pudgy cheeks. _/He's so cute. Adorable really. And he's so compassionate and strong. /_

Naruto, though he had received advanced training from his family, the Hokage and Itachi, had always been weakest when asleep. Especially after the harsh exercises he had put his body to last night, when Sasuke had, thankfully left; in this state, the only way to wake him up is to scream at him or hit him.

Haku let his fingers run through Naruto's messy hair. _/I wish I could protect you from all that is evil and wrong in this world. I wish you'd remain the same as you are now, always. You're... You're the kind of person I wish I could be, that I could never be. I don't understand how your team mates could allow you to sleep all alone in a cold dangerous forest where you could get attacked or catch a cold. You deserve to be loved. I...I want to protect you and take care of you. /_ He smiled as Naruto snuggled into his hand. _/Rest well, Naruto-chan. Aishiteru. /_

His eyes brushing against Naruto's whiskers, he gently shook the boy awake.

"Huh...?"

"You shouldn't sleep in the woods. You could get sick."

"... Who..?"

"A friend." Was all Haku said before he stood up and moved away from the stupefied boy, picking up his basket, at the sound of light, approaching footsteps.

He walked away, as if he had not seen Naruto sleeping on the damp forest ground, as if he had not been admiring his enemy, as if he had not touched the boy as if he loved him, and kept his features composed as he passed one of Naruto's teammates, the dark-haired boy he called Sasuke.

But his eyes narrowed as he passed the boy who was obviously headed for Naruto, and he couldn't keep the sneer of his face as he walked away, thinking of Naruto's uncaring team mates. _/You don't deserve him. You can't fool me with your pretense of caring. If you truly cared, why did you remember that he was outside only after you've slept and probably eaten? Is it convenient for you to remember your team mate now? Pathetic. Utterly pathetic./_

* * *

Haku watched Naruto and Sasuke as they fought against his senbon. Naruto was once again expending much chakra. He kept on performing his clone jutsu even though all the clones kept on dying by his needles. _/I know he has a reason for doing this. But I just can't see how this will help him get out, much less defeat me/_

Haku hesitated and shook his head. _/No, I'm allowing my sentiments for him to cloud my judgment. He is my enemy. I must not let my fondness for him affect me./_

Haku winced as one of his senbon once again pierced the battered body of Naruto. _/I must win this fight. For Zabuza. For giving me something to live for when I wanted to die. For recognizing me and accepting me all those years ago. I owe Zabuza that much./_

But even as he repeated those words again and again in his mind, he could not help but purposely make his senbon miss Naruto vital organs. He sighed, his warm breath condensing against the inside surface of his mask. _/... But I don't want Naruto-chan to die./_

* * *

Haku knew that he would lose this fight. It just wasn't in his heart to hurt the boy. 

After the repeated attacks, Naruto fell unconscious. Opening his eyes, he saw himself before a large door... the cage of the feared Kyubi.

"BRAT! WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE!"

Smiling sheepishly, Naruto scratched "Ne, Kyubi-san? I fell unconscious."

"Stupid. You weren't fighting your best, of course you'd lose."

"Sasuke's there. He'd notice my fighting style... Itachi's fighting style."

"Very well... I cannot allow my vessel to seem like a weakling. Open your eyes and fight!"

* * *

Opening his eyes, he could see their enemy, Haku, lying unconscious on the ground. 

_/Does that mean.../_

"Ch, you ...always... in the way." Sasuke's voice whispered as he stood before Naruto's body.

Naruto's eyes widened as his eyes wandered over his teammate's body, it was covered in blood and needles.

_/Had we won? NO! That's impossible... that boy... He's strong... He can't be fallen already.../_ His thoughts however stopped and took a detour when Sasuke's body crumpled into a broken heap before him. Before he realized what was happening, his arms had already pulled Sasuke's pliant body to his and semi-hugged his teammate

"Why did... You save me?"

"How should I know... hated you..."

The moment Sasuke closed his eyes, Naruto could no longer hold the words spilling from his mouth. "Idiot! I'm the one who should be protecting you... not the other way around...not like this... Damnit, WAKE UP!" After saying thus, the Kyubi's chakra rose up from his body and surrounded both him and his charge.

Opening his bloodshot eyes, they met the pale ones of his opponent.

The real fight has begun.

* * *

Zabuza knew he didn't have much more to give for this fight, he had just been newly healed and his body had not yet completely recovered. Black edged his field of vision and he was feeling light headed from extensive blood loss. 

Haku screamed and ran to save him when he saw that Zabuza could no longer defend himself from Kakashi's oncoming attack. Zabuza smiled fondly at him as he used his remaining strength to push Haku away. _/...Idiot boy./_

The strength of Kakashi's attack threw him a couple of meters away. His body bounced as it landed on the hard bridge and skidded to a stop. Black spots appeared before his eyes and he lost what air was in his lungs.

Haku quickly ran to his fallen master and teacher and dropped to his knees beside the man. Zabuza's blood pooled around him and soaked Haku's clothes.

Zabuza smiled a genuine smile as he stared at the monochromatic sky above him. He could vaguely hear Haku's sobs beside him. _/Keh. Someone's crying for good, old me, bakemono Zabuza... He must think I've done something good for him.../_

"Wimpy boy..." Zabuza coughed out blood. "...crying like a woman..."

Haku hugged his body closer to him and tried to stench the alarming flow of blood with his hands, using whatever chakra he still had to heal Zabuza. "Zabuza-sensei!" He sobbed. _/I can't heal him! His blood is flowing out of him too fast! My healing capabilities can't keep up... But he can't die! There must be something that I can do/_

Zabuza coughed up more blood. "Shut up..." _/and let me... have my/_ "...peace." He forced his eyes open and grinned at Kakashi. "Take," he drew in a ragged, painful breath, "care of Haku... Ka...Kakashi".

Kakashi watched him solemnly. "I will."

Haku's anguished cries became louder as he tried, begged, prayed for Zabuza. "I thought I... told you to shu...shut up.." He lifted one arm with great difficulty and plugged it in his ear hole. "Urusai." Zabuza closed his eyes. _/I can hear my blood pounding... Keh. At least... I died from a good fight./_

Zabuza grinned one last time and stared at Kakashi. "See you in hell, scarecrow."

And he was dead. Haku whimpered and cried. He closed Zabuza's unseeing eyes and embraced his body close.

"Aww, he's dead." One of Gatou's thugs, who had arrived at the scene with Gatou as Zabuza was dying, grinned. "Don't cry now. You'll soon be joining your ugly boyfriend." And with that he and the other thugs attacked. Gatou looked on, happily puffing his cigar.

Kakashi, whose chakra was already running low, cursed under his breath and settled for hand to hand combat. Haku remained by Zabuza's body and used his senbon to defend himself and Zabuza's corpse. Sakura was holding her own against the thug she was fighting with. They weren't particularly strong like Zabuza and Haku had been but Team 7 and Haku had been badly injured and was not in prime fighting condition. Even the old man Tazuna was left unprotected as he fought against his attacker using a nearby metal shovel. One particularly hard bash and the paid lackey were out like a light.

Naruto was having his own problems fighting off two of the stronger thugs when he saw a sword carrying thug raise his sword to run it through Sasuke.

_/Sasuke/_ He directed his chakra to his hands and feet and flipped over the one in front of him, gripping the thug by the shoulders while he was flipping over, and throwing him at the other thug. He pushed chakra into his feet, ran to Sasuke in two leaps and kicked Sasuke's attacker in the stomach.

He glanced down at Sasuke's unconscious body to make sure that he was unharmed. _/Sasuke! Wake the fuck up/ _His momentary distraction had cost him as the thug recovered and punched his face, followed by a stronger punch to his stomach. Naruto coughed up blood. He slipped his tongue over his lips and tasted a thick slightly metallic flavored liquid. _/Fuck! I'm going to die/_

The green haired thug grinned at him and gripped the arms of his orange jacket, intending to throw him away. Naruto suddenly bent over and allowed his jacket to slip off of his arms. Green-hair lost his balance and began flailing backward. Naruto jumped up and smashed the thug's face into the ground with a good kick.

One of the thugs he had been fighting with had recovered and ran Green-hair's sword through Naruto the moment his feet touched the ground. Naruto cried out in pain and fell down.

The thug, a bald-headed muscle-head pulled out the sword, drawing another scream out of Naruto and smashed his big foot onto Naruto's stomach. Tears streamed down Naruto's face as his wound was aggravated by the foot of the man. Leering down at Naruto, Bald-head said, "Gonna cry now little boy? Gonna run crying back to your whore-mother? Aww, aren't you a cute little piece of cunt?"

"Bastard!" Naruto hissed out at him.

The man laughed and lifted his foot from where he had been grinding it down on Naruto's stomach only to smash it down on Naruto's left leg.

Naruto let out a blood-curdling scream.

Haku was pinned down by two thugs, blood-stained gi and hakama loosened by the two. He had run out of senbon and kunai a while ago, and in his weak state it was easy for the two thugs to overpower him.

Haku was staring at the same patch of sky that Zabuza had been staring at before he died as he felt rough hands reach places on his body that they weren't supposed to be. Haku tried to shut down his thought process. _/What more can I lose? They can't hurt me anyway. I don't care what they do to me./_

His thoughts were broken by a blood-curdling scream. Haku's pulse quickened as he recognized that voice. _/Naruto! I can't let them hurt Naruto/_ He twisted his head to face the direction where the scream came from. His eyes widened at the sight of the big, laughing man stepping on Naruto. And Naruto's obviously broken leg.

"NARUTO!" Haku screamed, forcing his limbs to fight against his attackers. He writhed and twisted his body, trying to dislodge the thugs above him so he could save Naruto. He managed to free one leg, filled his legs with the last of his chakra and used it to hold one thug between his legs and smash the thug's head down on the bridge.

"Stop moving you brat!" The man kneeling on his arms punched him hard enough to draw blood and cause dark spots to crowd his vision.

* * *

"NARUTO!" Naruto vaguely registered hearing Haku's voice screaming his name. _/...Haku/_ He asked through the daze caused by the pain. He lifted his head in time to see the man kneeling on Haku's arms slap him hard. He saw Haku close his eyes. Naruto quickly got over the trauma caused by his broken leg as he saw the man sitting on Haku's arms start to undress the unconscious boy. 

"No! Leave Haku alone!" Naruto yelled. _/He's suffered so much! I can't let you hurt him! Wake up, Naruto! Stop thinking like a wimpy kid and MOVE! I'm better than this, my family trained me for this/_ Naruto ranted at himself and at the pain of his injuries. In a sudden burst of chakra Naruto made the seals and yelled, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A hundred Naruto clones appeared and beat the hell out of the remaining thugs. Amidst all the fighting Naruto dragged himself over to Haku's side, bringing Sasuke's body with him. It took some time and tremendous effort. By the time he reached Haku's still form, the last eight of his clones and Kakashi were finishing up beating the last two conscious thugs. The moment the last thug fell, Naruto collapsed on top of Sasuke and Haku's bodies, unconscious.

* * *

Sunlight shone in through the open window of Inari's room, waking one of the boys who lay sleeping on the floor. Haku groaned and rolled over to his side trying to escape the blinding light that was forcing him to wake up when he remembered what happened. He sat up, immediately scanning the room, wary of Gatou's thugs. 

He blinked as he stared at the sunny room, a salty breeze coming in from the big view window at the side, a small bed in the corner, and a desk by the window with a picture of Tazuna's family on it. He relaxed as soon as he realized where he was.

He looked at the two boys sleeping beside him, Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke was still unconscious, and ugly violet bruises littered the extremely pale skin of the boy. Naruto's abdomen was heavily wrapped in bandages, a part of which was soaked with his blood, while one leg of the pajama bottoms that he wore had been ripped off to expose the cast around his broken leg.

Haku frowned and reached over to touch Naruto where he remembered his senbons had wounded him. Strangely enough, no marks or wounds were left behind. _/That's impossible. I'm sure he was wounded here... and here... and here./_

A pale arm grabbed his wrist and turned him around.

"What do you think you're doing?" Uchiha Sasuke hissed at him. Anger contorted his face as he glared at Haku.

Haku smirked at him. "None of your business." He tugged his arm away and rose from the futon. As he folded the futon and tucked it away in a corner, Sasuke continued to glare at him from beside the sleeping Naruto. Haku ignored him and proceeded out of the room. As he was going out the door, Sasuke called out to him.

"Haku!"

Haku turned his head to face him, devoid of expression.

"I don't trust you. I'll be watching."

Haku smiled. "I don't care," he sing-songed, and left the room.

Sasuke sighed and turned to inspect Naruto. _/What was that pervert doing to Naruto/_ He looked for suspicious looking marks on Naruto's body, observing the blood-stained bandages and the cast on his leg. _/Idiot... what happened to you/_

Outside the room, Haku smothered his giggles as he stole glances inside the room where Uchiha was hunched over Naruto._ /Well, well, what do we have here? Way too obvious, Uchiha. But I won't him lose to you.../_

He pushed himself away from the wall and continued to walk downstairs in search of Kakashi. Zabuza's dying wish was for Kakashi to take care of him and he intended to fulfill that wish. As he descended the stairs he couldn't help but smile. _/I still don't think you deserve Naruto, Uchiha. I won't make things easy for you. Maybe I never will.../_

* * *

Kakashi held Haku captive and brought him back to Konoha with them once Naruto and Sasuke were healthy enough to make the trip back home.

Sandaime, upon hearing Kakashi's report, had immediately called for a Council meeting. The Council members were all talking at the same time, and the noise in the closed room steadily increased.

**THUD!**

"Silence!" Sandaime called out. Everyone immediately settled down in their respective seats and reluctantly shut their mouths to listen to him.

A ninja standing at the sides approached the table and handed the Hokage a sealed letter.

The Third opened the scroll and skimmed it. He then addressed the Council members. "Here is a letter from the kage of Hidden Mist, stating that since the boy, Haku, did not undergo formal ninja training in and under the Hidden Mist village and thus has no knowledge of the Village of Hidden Mist's secrets, they are giving us full custody of and authority over the boy as compensation for damages that our village may have acquired in the past events concerning Tazuna, Zabuza, Gatou, and Team 7 in the Village of Hidden Mist. Signed by their kage and the Council of Hidden Mist.

"They're washing their hands clean of this incident," muttered one member.

Another Council member shook her head, "Of course, with the completion of Tazuna bridge, the Village of Hidden Mist is expected to prosper. They would not want to incur a debt to another village nor could they afford to anger us. This shall be a critical period for Hidden Mist's development."

Another member sneered. "And the boy is of no value to them, anyway, and may just cause them trouble. So they give him to us; they lose a potential problem and pay-off a debt without any loss to their village. Pretty smart move on their part. Pretty stupid of us to accept."

"Shall we accept, Hokage-sama?" One member asked. Everyone turned to the Third.

He kept a steady gaze on the Council. "I disagree with Jiro-san. This is the best offer that we will ever get. Technically speaking, Haku is not a member of Hidden Mist, and as such they do not really have any obligations to us. This is merely a ploy for them to remain in good standing with us. As Satoka-san has mentioned, they cannot afford to have any enemies right now, they need strong allies. If we do not accept their offer, we will not get anything out of this and it will be seen as an act of arrogance, a challenge even, on our part. Also Haku shows great potential and seems to have become attached to Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi."

"The vessel of the fox-demon and a lazy, perverted jounin? They are dangerous enough on their own. Shouldn't the boy's loyalty lie with our village?" The old man, Jiro, insisted.

"Bear in mind that that boy has not received much love and understanding in his lifetime. His loyalties and perceptions shall be shaped by our decisions. If we mistreat him, he will most probably end up being a menace to this village, but if he is handled properly..." The Third allowed the Council to think of the possibilities by themselves.

"Of course, he must be kept under constant supervision and careful guidance," Satoka added after a few moments of silence. "Who do you think should be given this job?"

A quiet elder at the end of the table spoke up. "My grandson had suffered the most out of this mission, I believe it is only right that we be entitled to this boy's services."

The Council burst into objections. Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "And what about his training? His supervision? His living expenses? How shall you ensure his loyalty to this village, Uzumaki-san?"

Uzumaki Kenji grinned at him. "I shall make him part of my family, Hokage-sama, as you have said he needs a family to love him and he is attached to Naruto-kun. As part of my family, I shall take care of his training and his needs. I shall also personally submit a monthly report on his progress and activities to your office."

"And why will you go through all that trouble, Uzumaki-san? What is your interest in the boy?" he asked.

"I am interested in what I believe is best for the village. As you have said, he has great potential, and with the proper training and motivation, he may prove to be very useful to this village in the future."

Jiro sneered. "Oh, come now, Uzumaki-san. Everyone here knows that your first allegiance is to the Uchiha household. Tell us, WHY are you interested in this boy?"

Kenji took on a thoughtful expression and rubbed his chin. "Truthfully?"

The Council member nodded wordlessly and leaned towards him to hear better.

"I'm worried about Naruto-kun growing up with no one of his age to talk to. He is already showing signs of becoming more and more of an introvert, especially after Uchiha Itachi murdered his family and left the village. His affection for Haku makes everything easier."

This time Hokage raised both his eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

Kenji chuckled. "Why, yes, I am. It's better to keep Naruto happy." He waggled his grey eyebrows at everyone around the table. "After all, if he keeps everything to himself, he might just suddenly snap and turn against us. This way I get to keep an eye on both Haku and Naruto."

The Hokage sweat dropped and leaned back into the soft cushions of his chair. He was beginning to wonder if Kenji was becoming senile. "Well. Any other objections? Volunteers?"

Uneasy quiet was his answer.

He clapped his hands together. "Well, now that that's settled, this meeting is over. Don't forget to sign your name on the transcript of this meeting before you leave this room. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen." The Hokage swiftly left the room to once more take up the war against the stack of papers on his desk.

* * *

_(((Haku's clothes: Black low-waist slightly loose pants, shinobi sandals, a thick band of red leather around one wrist, a body-hugging black shirt with a red shirt underneath peeking at the edges. Hair is down. Permanent accessory, a white-gold dangling earring and stud (so two piercings total) on his left ear.))) _

It was now two weeks after the wave country mission. Kakashi had just given his students a one-hour break to eat their midday meal. Sasuke sat with his back against one tree, silently eating his onigiri, while Sakura sat near him stealing discreet glances of him as she ate her home-prepared meal. Naruto on the other hand was noisily running around the clearing, looking for his missing lunch box.

Sasuke was the first to notice the approaching figure in black. He paused to glare at Haku as he steadily approached their group.

Haku paid him no mind and waved at Naruto, a happy grin on his face. "Naruto-chan! I brought your lunch! You left it at home this morning! Mou, I woke up real early so I could prepare your favorite so I thought I'd just-- ". The rest of Haku's sentence was cut off as Naruto went into a running jump and glomped Haku.

"Haku! You are the best, best, bestest bestfriend in the world! I loooooovve you!" Naruto squealed at him.

Haku laughed out loud and wrapped his arms around Naruto, one arm partially supporting the boy's bottom, as Naruto had wrapped his arms around Haku's neck and his legs around Haku's waist.

Opening his eyes a bit, he noticed the focused glare that the Uchiha boy was giving him. Hidden by Naruto's shoulder, Haku's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. Almost unnoticeable, except to the two pairs of eyes that were focused on him, he hugged the fox-boy tighter and deliberately kissed the side of Naruto's ear. Hearing the low growl from the jealous boy, he almost laughed out loud.

**/Mission success./**


	10. Traitors in our Midst

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the start of the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**PPS:** The italicized words are flashbacks.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01

Chapter 09 : Traitors in our Midst

_/Once I thought that the melodrama of life would stop the moment I step outside the gates of that village. I believed that I would be free from everything… but I was not. They still had me chained to them. Many people believe I'm already dead. Sorry to disappoint them but I'm still very much alive. /_

_/Sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if I stayed there? If I hadn't run away… This was useless; thinking of the past will get me nowhere. I'll just go back when the time comes. And maybe… maybe I'll see him again, my brother./_

* * *

Their first destination upon reaching Suna was its closest hotel. Feeling wary about her companions, Ayako decided to only pay for two rooms. Omi and Kyle would have to share, she decided. 

Dropping her things in the room, she walked over to the window to survey the land below. Wandering merchants were peddling their wares, and children of all ages were playing about in the sand. It was a beautiful sight, peaceful. Her thoughts were cut off with the entrance of Omi. Turning away from the window, she wondered of his purpose, "Omi?"

A nod was her only reply.

"Is there a problem?" She asked.

"You don't trust him."

"He's new to the team. I am merely being cautious."

"You trust me."

Shrugging, she replied, "Believe what you will."

"Very well," Turning to leave, he paused when she called him name.

"…Omi…"

"Hm."

Sighing, she whispered, "Watch over him."

Giving her a lingering look, he gave a short nod before leaving her presence. For some unknown reason, Ayako felt more troubled than before.

* * *

"WATCH OUT!" Kyle screamed out as a group of unseen enemies attacked them. Kyle, in a burst of adrenaline, pushed Ayako out of the way to meet the sharp ends of multiple kunai and needles. 

With her eyes wide open, Ayako turned to her bloodied teammate. "Kyle," She gasped out as he struggled to stand.

"Ayako!" Omi called out, "The two of you should escape. Leave it up to me."

"No." She whispered furiously. "This is our fight. If anyone's leaving, it's you and Kyle."

"Ayako."

"I'm not leaving like a coward." She insisted as she stared down their enemies. Unseen, Omi's eyes flashed purple.

"Damnit." He growled out. Ayako, in concern, turned her attention to him. The last thing she saw was his bright purple eyes watching her.

* * *

"What exactly are you planning, Haku?" Kenji asked, his amused eyes twinkling like sapphires. 

Haku's eyes shifted silently from Naruto to the older man. Nonchalantly, he whispered. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh? But you do." He stated with conviction as the young boy's eyes strayed back to the oblivious blonde.

Silence enveloped them as Haku continued his watch. Minutes ticked by before a loud "SASUKE-TEME!" shattered their peace. The two however remained unmoved until Haku opened his mouth to say, "I'm putting out the weeds, Kenji-sama."

A raised eyebrow answered him.

"The Uchiha, I do not trust him. He is not worthy of Naruto-kun."

Surprised, Kenji let out a brief cough before he replied. "And you are?"

Smirking, Haku replied. "Who says I'm competing?"

"…"

"I see Naruto-kun as my otouto. I'm only the judge in this contest…."

"Sou ka."

Kenji was about to leave when, "Isn't it interesting, though?"

"The Uchiha?"

"…"

"…"

"…No…his jealousy…" And with that said, Haku left the branches with a small smile on his lips.

Sigh "Youth these days…They love to complicate things."

* * *

Within Kumogakure, a young kunoichi was faced with two strangers bearing large straw hats and black cloaks with red clouds designed on it. "Who are you, trespassers?" 

"Trespassers?" One of the cloaked men from underneath his straw hat whispered. "No. We are not trespassers, lady..," he continued, his mouth forming to a smirk as the next words passed his lips. "We are merely collectors."

"Collectors? In this part of the town? Only ninjas come to this place, the market place is on the other side." She countered, her slanted eyes narrowing in consideration as she stared at the two.

"Aa. We are collectors: collectors of powerful beings, actually. We believe that you have something we want…"

Hearing those words, Yugito realized exactly what they were talking about. Jumping away in time, she was able to dodge their first attack. Running through the training's traps, she managed to create a good enough distance between them. Her two pursuers, caught up to her just as she reached her destination, the remote training field specifically made for the higher jounins. Closing all the available exits, she screamed out and unleashed a power within her.

"So this is the power of the Nibi…" Kakuzu murmured appreciatively as the form of a two-tailed fire-breathing cat appeared before them. Turning to his partner, he witnessed the taller man clasp his hands together and pray. _/Tsk. What a waste of time./_ He thought as he turned away from his religious partner, Hidan.

Hours later, Yugito found herself pinned to the wall with a kunai. She glared at the two men, breathing raggedly.

"Time for you to die, nekomata…" Hidan murmured sadistically, his eyes glinting at the thought of her death.

Yugito closed her eyes. She could feel the pulsating need inside of her. It was waiting for her, her demon… its imminent release. It would be destructive to her people but there was no other choice. It was time to do it… It was her time to die. Laughing bitterly, she opened her eyes to look over the two. A twisted smile on her lips, she whispered her last words, "To burn in hell… I'd rather have that than to let you have Nibi…"

"Unlucky you, then."

"Iie. Unlucky you…" she replied as she whispered her final goodbye to her demon. Releasing a burst of charka, the two Akatsuki members were made witness to the Nibi's freedom. _/Goodbye… Nibi…. I'm sorry…/ _Yugito thought as she watched the Nibi bound away from her to escape their captors.

"You have failed." Zetsu remarked as he appeared seconds later. "Leave for your next assignment. I will take care of the Nibi."

* * *

"Grandfather." Ran saluted as he entered the threshold of the Uzumaki mansion. 

"Ran." The elder nodded his head in recognition. His forehead wrinkled in thought as he stared at the young lad. "Your sister's mission was in Suna, wasn't it?"

"Hai. Is there a problem grandfather?" Ran asked, worried.

"No. At least, I hope not. It's just that she has not sent any word since they arrived in that village. I cannot help but worry… my only granddaughter…"

* * *

In truth, theirs was an easy mission. Ensure Sand's loyalty to the alliance. _/Piece of Cake./_ She had thought as they entered the village two days prior. Everything was going so well. She was even starting to trust her new recruit when it happened. 

Cringing at the thought of grandpa and Ran's lecture about her carelessness, she opened her eyes blearily. Accustoming her eyes to the light, she turned to look around her holding cell. A muffled groan alerted her of the presence of her co-captive. _/Kyle…/_ She thought as she stared at her companion. He was sitting on the side, his left arm bleeding profusely and a collar that seemed to be seeping his chakra was around his neck. _/Then…/_

_**Kukukuku**_

"You seem to be in quite an unpleasant situation, young Shinimegami." Orochimaru cackled as he stared down at Ayako.

Her response was muffled by the cloth crammed down her throat but her eyes made the message clear. _/You'll pay for this, bastard./_

"And how can you fight me when you are so weak? After all, who are you compared to me? A puny girl to fight a powerful sannin, who do you think will win?" He taunted the tied up girl.

_Glare_

Turning to the man hidden among the shadows, he whispered, "Who do you think will win..., Omi-kun?"

Leaving the safety of the darkness, Ayako was immediately sieged by a bitter irony. There before her stood, her former co-captain, Chi TsukiOmi.

One word passed through her mind… _/Traitor…/_

* * *

Hours passed since their confrontation, Kabuto in a rare case of kindness had taken the cloth from her mouth, allowing her to breathe more freely. Kyle was still out of it, his injuries had unfortunately been worse than she thought. It was infected, and she had no means to treat him. 

Kabuto, and Orochimaru had gone already but Omi had preferred to stay, insisting that he was to watch over the captives himself. He could feel Ayako's eyes on him but he shrugged it off. It was a mission. A mission he'd taken even before he was assigned under her and he could not let his emotions, his guilt, to take over him.

Passing his eyes over her, he chanced a look upon the poor lad that got dragged into this mission. He'd known Ayako was wary of him, and he'd used this against her very well. Compared to their new member, she trusted him fairly well. He'd saved her dozens of times and this had only strengthened her belief in him. _/How foolish…/_ He'd thought, he was after all, their traitor.

Looking towards the window, he noted the time. _/Orochimaru-sama must have already killed the Kage…/_ Their plan was easy. Kill the Kage. Orochimaru-sama would use Henge to take his position, and ally Sand with Sound in attacking Konoha.

* * *

Watching the Fourth Kage of the Sand was Gaara. It was a hobby he'd gained from the long hours of boredom. The villagers were pathetic, as well as the nin, even this man before him… his father. He was afraid of him, the very monster he created. Examining the man's movement, his eyebrows furrowed. It seemed different, the Kage's actions… It seemed awkward at best. _/What are you hiding, father/_

Seeing the Kage stare at him, he caught his gaze before leaving. _/I will find you out…whatever you're hiding…/_ Knowing that he may no longer watch the Kage in close proximity, he formed his Sand Eye and instructed it to follow his father, unseen. From afar, he observed him as he turned away from the documents that needed his attention. Walking pass the desk, the soldiers, he turned to the hall that was almost never used. Gaara's eyes narrowed. It was the pathway to the dungeons, a place that was never used before as sand nin killed more than imprisoned their enemies. Sending his 'eye' to follow his father, he saw the outline of a girl chained to the wall, her body beaten and bruised, her companion, two men, other than the Kage, who were watching her torture and two co-prisoners, one who was dead to the world, and another unconscious and bleeding. Seeing this, he shrugged. Releasing the charka for his Sand eye, he turns away and leaves.

* * *

Four days upon seeing the dungeon occupied, Gaara spied the Kage, his father, yet again leave his office. By now, it had been a routine occurrence but he still could not shake of the feeling of deceit. By now, he and his siblings had been informed of the plans to attack and conquer Konoha. It was his mission to create havoc and destruction upon the village. The thought pleased Shukaku somewhat, that he was certain. The bloodlust was almost palpable. It hung on him like a cloak that everybody could see. But the uneasiness he felt… it was distracting. Against, his better judgment, he decided to follow his father. Reaching the cells, he watched silently, the form that was his father, change shape to become a long-haired pale man. 

Watching from the shadows the turn of the events, he couldn't help but feel a tingle of pity for the man, the dead carcass he saw before, that he now realized was his father. Turning away slightly, he closed his eyes and shut off his heart. He would not feel pity for a man who had made him this way. He would not feel for the man who wished for his death and constantly sent assassins for him. No, he wouldn't care for him. Not at all.

It was minutes later that the imposter and the glasses-wearing man left. Gaara was finally alone with the two prisoners. He was contemplating on killing them both when he took notice of their hitai-ate, they were nins from Konoha. The ones who were suddenly missed. He saw the female open her eyes groggily. "Who..?" She whispered before the sound of the cell's door opening caught her ears.

"Ayako." The newcomer called to the female.

Glaring at him, she hissed "Omi, what brings you here?"

Letting his eyes roam her bloodied body, he felt a devious idea form within his mind. In all the years that he'd served under her command, he'd always had the thought but never really acted upon it. It wouldn't matter now but the thought nagged him. "You…"

It all happened so fast that Ayako could barely process his words inside her mind before she found herself stripped to her underwear. He was standing before her with a wicked grin and she couldn't help but feel fear settle in her heart. She was about to surrender to her fate when she felt sand crawl up from between the space between them. Watching the small grains dance, creating a barrier around them, she didn't notice her red-headed companion leave the shadows. She barely saw Omi crushed as said companion whispered the words Desert Coffin as she felt her eyes grow heavy in exhaustion. Her last thought was that she's never seen eyes as green as the ones the red-head had.

* * *

"You can't beat Sasuke-kun so just up already!" Sakura shrieked at Naruto as the blond once again challenged her beloved. **_/Kick his ass, Sasuke. You're the best/_** Inner Sakura hollered out as she watched the show from the sidelines. 

The two boys gave no indication that they heard her. _/Perhaps they didn't…/_ Kakashi thought as the two stared down each other. He was about to dismiss them when he caught a flash of amusement cross Sasuke's eyes.

"Dobe."

A tick appeared suddenly on Naruto's forehead. "Teme…"

"Arm-wrestling?" He repeated, seemingly pleased with the idea. He was silent for a while before nodding. Falling prone unto the grass, their faces inches apart, their battle started…

Minutes later, the two boys were seen lying side by side on the ground. Kakashi and Sakura have long since gone, the former having gotten tired of watching their match, and the latter, suddenly remembering her chores. Naruto was leaning to the side, panting. His cheeks flushed from exertion, his lips, an adorable pout. Sasuke, unseen, smiled at the sight.

* * *

The night was cold. The stars were hiding in the darkness when Sasuke awoke from his sleep. Beside him lay a still sleeping Naruto. They'd been too exhausted after their fight to get up and leave so they decided to stay there for a while. 

Sasuke could feel slight apprehension at his teammate's care-free attitude. If he'd been an enemy, he'd have died already. Just like before… during their time in Wave when Haku had been an enemy _/He's still an enemy./ _His mind supplied as he carefully sat up to avoid awakening the other.

Staring up to the sky, he could see the twinkle of the stars tease him. He remembered his mother saying once that wishing upon stars would make things come true. It was probably something she'd said to make him happy… But he couldn't help the words that fell from his lips as he once again looked at his sleeping companion. "I don't want to be alone again…"

_**TBC…**_

**AN:** Sorry for the year long wait. Studies and Major subjects have made me busy and drained. Just regained from my writer's block. Let's hope I can make more chapters before it takes me as captive again. Love you, my dear readers. Please leave reviews and suggestions. I'm losing ideas here so please give me some help with the scenarios. Thank you for your time.


	11. Before it Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the start of the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**PPS:** The italicized words are flashbacks.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01

Chapter 10 :: Before it begins

Entering the crowded building, Jiraiya looked around silently. He was too pre-occupied to notice the gorgeous blonde watching him from the shadows. Sitting by the bar counter, he raised his hand to call the bartender but stopped when a pale slender hand touched his.

"Jiraiya." Tsunade greeted, as his eyes met hers.

"Tsunade-hime…" he replied, his eyes taking note of her pale visage.

Tipping the sake bottle in her hand, she poured a small amount for both of them before asking, "What brings you here?"

Smiling slightly, he sipped on his proffered cup before turning to her. "What makes you think I didn't merely pass by this joint?"

"Passing by?" She laughed, amused. "I'd believe you if this was a brothel or even the hot-springs but this bar?" She motioned to their surroundings "…not a chance."

"Aa."

Jiggling her bottle to see if it was empty, she muttered. "Shizune heard of a white-haired man looking around for me." Eyeing him with a raised eyebrow, she continued. "You, I believe?"

"…"

Looking down her empty cup, she drew a shaky breath before whispering. "What's your purpose here, Jiraiya?"

Watching her now, he could clearly see that the past was still haunting her. The pain of their deaths was still far too fresh for her to come back. Shaking his thoughts out of her head, he mumbled, "Nothing," before drowning himself once again in alcohol.

One thought stayed prevalent throughout their drinking session. _/When will you learn to let go of the past, Tsunade?/_

* * *

Meanwhile back in Konoha… 

Tense air hung about the room. A cackle of energy pulsed between their eyes but they paid it no heed. Their connection was cut off however when Iruka, with a pained smile on his lips looked away before sighing. "I must have heard wrong. I could swear Hatake-san just nominated Team Seven for the upcoming Chuunin Exams."

Kakashi paused, his gaze becoming intense upon the in-denial chuunin. "That is because I did, Umino-san."

That statement was like a bucket of ice-cold water to Iruka. He sputtered before replying, "No! I won't allow it…"

"You have no choice in this matter. You are no longer their sensei. I am." Kakashi voiced out, his tone hardening in front of the mule-stubborn man.

It was obvious that the words hurt him more than Kakashi imagined. His mouth opened to form words of apology but he remained stone-impassive. He could only hope that this would not be the dent that would destroy their could-have-been relationship.

Staring at him, Iruka whispered. "But they're still too young… inexperienced…They're not yet ready."

"They've faced Zabuza and the Demon Brothers. They've survived those… They're more than ready."

"No, they are not."

"You're just overprotective!"

"And you're uncaring!"

"How would they grow if you don't let them?"

Iruka's eyes widened at those words.

_How will I grow stronger if you hold me back?_

It had been so long since he'd last thought of that day…

_/Flashback_

_"You're going on another mission." It was a statement; Iruka knew that there was no question that he, Itachi, would leave Konoha by the morrow._

_"…"_

_"It's dangerous."_

_"I know. We are shinobi, we live in constant danger…"_

_"But"_

_"How will I grow stronger if you hold me back?"_

_He closed his eyes before murmuring, "So that's what it is? A way for you to get stronger? Is that all you care about? Don't you even care that your only brother is growing up and you're not even here?!"_

_"It is my duty…"_

_"Duty to whom? Your clan? What about Sasuke? …What about--"_

_"I do."_

_"Wha-?"_

_"I go on missions for you and Sasuke, for what other reason would I kill so mercilessly?"_

_"But…You said…"_

_"I train, I fight…all to get strong enough to protect the two of you…_

_"You might die out there!"_

_"I won't die"_

_"You can't promise that"_

_"I won't die because you and Sasuke would cry…"_

_"I'm not a crybaby!"_

_"Aa."_

_"Baka Itachi!"_

_End Flashback/_

"Baka Itachi..," Iruka murmured, his affectionate tone snapping the Sandaime from his perverted daydreams.

"Did you say something, Iruka-san?" The Third asked, his tired eyes reading the scroll unrolled before him. It was after the meeting. Kakashi's request had been accepted minutes after his outburst. Not even Iruka could say no as the words triggered a part of his memory into awakening… memories of Itachi…

"Iie, Hokage-sama… Betsuni."

"Hm." /_Nothing indeed…/_

* * *

"Tadaima!" Naruto exuberantly shouted into his empty apartment. _/Finally, home./_ He thought as he toed off his sandals upon entering. Closing the door empathically, he sighed. His mask of constant cheerfulness and idiocy slipping at the familiar surroundings of the apartment he'd once shared with his Ayako-neesan back in the days of their estrangement to the clan… before he regained his rightful name and identity. 

He was about to strip off his clothing when a white blur suddenly hug-tackled him, effectively enveloping him. "Okaeri, Naru-chan!" Haku murmured to his shoulder as he remained clinging to the abnormally morose boy.

Blinking in surprise, Naruto looked down to the older teen that seemed like a new attachment to him. "Haku?"

"'ai."

"What are you doing here?" he whispered into his hair, breathing in deeply the scent of wood and chamomile tea… the scent of Uzumaki clan home. "You should be at the clan house," Naruto voiced out warily, the village council had agreed to the arrangement but that did not mean that they trusted him, he was after all the kitsune-vessel.

Pouting adorably, Haku extracted himself from him, "You don't want me here, Naruto?" His eyes were becoming suspiciously watery as the words left him.

"Iie. It's not that! It's just…"

Sighing sadly, Haku reassured him distractedly that he had indeed gotten permission from Kenji-sama and that he had definitely not slipped away from the shinobi guarding him, nor had he tortured them and stuffed away their bodies somewhere… He was quiet thorough, thank you very much.

Naruto was about to scold him when he smelt something unusual in the air. "Haku?"

"Hai?"

"How come I smell blood..?"

Haku seemed thoughtful before he suddenly brightened "Oh! It must be that snake I killed minutes before you got here."

"Snake?"

"Hai. It was lurking around the apartment, Usagi-chan found it."

Blinking in surprise, Naruto mused aloud. "Why do you call her that anyway?"

Walking towards the apartment's opened windows, Haku sighed before turning back to Naruto with a sad smile, "Zabuza-san was the one who named her. I thought it was best she keep it."

"…Ah."

* * *

Ayako was staring at the carved faces of the past Hokage when she felt gentle tap on her shoulder. Turning around to, she was met with the worried gaze of her teammate, Kyle, and an apathetic look from Inuzuka Yuurin, their new recruit. 

Seeing his teammate almost jump out in shock, Kyle shook his head tiredly. Ever since their escape, she had been preoccupied. Silently, he wondered on how they were even able to do so... He'd asked countless times but only received blank looks whenever he mentioned it. Lost in thought, he didn't notice Ayako's sad smile as she turned to the stone memorial that held names of those who died to protect their village... the same village that their former teammate, Omi, betrayed.

_//Flashback_

_"And how can you fight me when you are so weak? After all, who are you compared to me? You, a puny girl to fight a powerful sannin, who do you think will win?" Orochimaru sneered. He continued minutes later, "Who do you think will win..., Omi-kun?"_

_Leaving the safety of the darkness, she saw her former co-captain, Chi TsukiOmi._

_One word passed through her mind… /Traitor…/_

_End Flashback//_

She let out another sigh when the haughty voice of Yuurin reached her ears. It was troubling to have two new teammates but as a captain of ANBU team, it was required to have at least two of her squadron to be always with her in missions. She could not completely say that this was welcome especially after _his_ betrayal. She should have known, really. But she'd been idiotic enough to trust someone. How wrong of her….

Seeing the Hokage's messenger bird, she signaled to her two teammates and stood. She was a bout to teleport to the Hokage tower when her eyes met the lush green scenery of the forest. Its shade reminded her of their unexpected savior.

_//Flashback_

_She had slept after Omi's failed attack on her being and when she had opened her eyes, she, along with Kyle, were already on the outskirts of Suna. The redhead boy was sitting by the fire, his back to her. She'd thought him asleep but was startled when he suddenly spoke._

"_Nin of Konohagakure,"_

_Blinking owlishly, she turned to him._

_Not waiting for a reply, continued, "Leave immediately." Turning to the still asleep Kyle, she was about to protest when his eyes met hers. "You and your companion…leave."_

_A glare settled on her face at his command. She was about to argue when he stood and faced the village of Suna. "A message," He whispered, handing to her a slip of paper, reading it quietly, she quietly gasped in surprise. _

'_Demon of Konoha, We will meet soon. Demon of Suna'_

_She was about to protest at the message when she realized that he'd already left. Closing her eyes in resignation, she whispered to the wind. "Thank you…"_

_End Flashback//_

* * *

Tenten was watching her two teammates train. Their jounin-sensei was suspiciously absent so they had decided to train by themselves today. He was after all a jounin; the Hokage had probably called him regardless of his eccentricity. Spying movement on her right, Neji, her mind supplied; her breath hitching she hoped that they weren't going to go overboard in the training. Pausing to glance at Lee, she relaxed. They weren't going to attack… yet. There was still enough time for her plan to be put into action. Gripping her kunai tightly, she was about to let it loose when loud shouts caught her, them, by surprise. In unison the three teammates, jumped from the clearing to hide up in the tree branches, watching cautiously the ones to disturb them. 

An orange-clad blond was leading the group, screaming obscenities left and right at his stoic companion who every few minutes would grunt in annoyance. A bubble-gum pink-haired girl was following them close behind, shrieking at the blond boy and cooing over the raven-head, her words a mass of 'Sasuke-kun', 'Naruto-baka', and other girlish squeals that were enough to make Tenten want to hurl a scroll-full of sharp objects at her. She was, in Tenten's mind, a weak and brainless fan girl. Such a waste of a kunoichi…

She was about to call her teammates' attention when twin sights of glazed eyes met her gaze.

"Lee!" She whispered harshly, trying to snap her green spandex-wearing friend out of his musings, "Oi, Lee!"

Frowning in frustration, she was about to throw her kunai in his general direction when he turned his heart-shaped eyes at her and proclaimed. "A goddess, an angel…. Tenten, I've seen an angel! She is the epitome of perfection. No one can rival her beauty. She…"

Tuning out Lee, Tenten sighed. Lee was enamored… he couldn't even see that his 'goddess' was obsessed, for lack of a better term, with her Uchiha teammate.

Noticing the sudden silence, not minding Lee's weeping, she realized that the band of three had already left.

"From what team are they of?" Lee wondered, his eyes still staring at where the group formerly stood.

Tenten gave no reply and she believed that Neji too had no idea of who the group was. So she was greatly surprised when he opened his mouth and said, "Team seven…"

Seeing their amazed expressions, he frowned and left the two in silence.

* * *

"YOU'RE LATE!!!" Sakura and Naruto screamed out in unison as Kakashi appeared before them five ad a half hours after their supposed meeting time. 

Kakashi's eyes curved in amusement before he raised his right hand in greeting. "Yo! A dolphin chased me, spitting fireballs for being too cold. I had to dodge repeatedly while promising to look after his kit."

"LIAR!!!" The duo answered back while their Uchiha teammate just frowned at their still grinning sensei.

Kakashi was momentarily surprised though when he saw mischief and amusement dance on Naruto's sky-blue eyes before his fox smile hid it. He barely heard Sakura's ranting but unfortunately, her voice was too loud to completely ignore.

"…Furthermore, a dolphin cannot genetically have a kit. Kits come from foxes which are now extinct especially here in Konohagakure. A dolphin would have a baby dolphin, not a fox kit." Sakura tattled on, oblivious to her teammates' irritation and sensei's disappointment. _So much for being smart._ Kakashi thought as her words reached him ", and another thing, dolphins can't spit fireballs!" Finally noticing the silence, she looked around and noticed her teammates' metres away from her conversing with Kakashi.

Running towards their direction, she heard Kakashi mutter, "Nice of you to finally join us, Sakura." Inner Sakura seethed at this and desperately wanted to punch Kakashi-sensei for this comment and she would have done so if not for the presence of her beloved Sasuke-sama.

"Very well…" Kakashi started, before pulling out a familiar orange book and opening it somewhere in the middle, "The Chuunin Exams would be starting three weeks from now," He said before turning the page, his eyes gleefully passing over the words.

Sakura couldn't' help but notice that Sasuke seemed unnaturally thrilled to hear the words.

Turning the page yet again, Kakashi paused before producing three slips of paper and handing one to each of his students. "I nominated you guys. If you wish to attend, come to the Academy, 7:00 a week from now." Finishing a chapter, he raised his eyes to meet their eyes before they curved to half-moon as he said, "No mission today. Ja!" and then disappeared in a whirl of wind and leaves.

Blushing slightly, Sakura faced Sasuke and shyly whispered, "Ne, Sasuke-kun," Sakura giggled before continuing, "Are you going to join the Chuunin Exams?"

Sasuke's expression of annoyance mixed with fear and resignation almost made Naruto suppress a smirk and a snicker. Before he could blow his cover, after all he supposedly had a crush on Sakura, he left without a goodbye to the two.

Glaring at Sakura, Sasuke stepped back and turned his back to her, walking towards his mansion, possibly to train. After all, he had more important things to do than to hear her out.

Seeing her crush leave, Sakura deflated. It was minutes after that she realized that there was something ultimately wrong today. She could not hear Naruto's whining for a date. Looking around, she realized that she's been ditched. Growling angrily, she stalked away, towards the direction of the marketplace. She was going shopping. The nerve of that dead last, leaving her alone there. _Damnit!_

* * *

Walking towards the clan training grounds, Sasuke let himself breathe easier. He was happy to hear that Kakashi had them nominated. His body was itching for stronger opponents that won't hold back as much as Kakashi did with them. He was going to attend it, who cares about Sakura and that dobe anyway…? His eyes lost the glare when he remembered Naruto. Lately, it seemed as if the blond was growing stronger than before. It seemed as if a dam that was holding him back from growing was shattered during their mission in Wave. /_Zabuza… and Haku…/_ Haku, he'd heard that a family had adopted him soon after their return in Konoha but no one knew which family did this. Not even Kakashi could answer his inquiries on their identity. /_But Haku always appeared near Naruto…/_ That thought spurred a memory to appear before his eyes. 

_//Flashback_

_"Naruto-chan! I brought your lunch! You left it at home this morning! Mou, I woke up real early so I could prepare your favorite so I thought I'd just-- ". The rest of Haku's sentence was cut off as Naruto went into a running jump and glomped Haku._

_"Haku! You are the best, best, bestest bestfriend in the world! I loooooovve you!" Naruto squealed at him._

_Haku laughed out loud and wrapped his arms around Naruto, one arm partially supporting the boy's bottom, as Naruto had wrapped his arms around Haku's neck and his legs around Haku's waist._

_End Flashback//_

/_That bastard…/_ His hands began o form a fist when he heard a disgruntled mewl. Looking around, he tried to locate its source but that proved harder than he thought. It was after another mewl that he found an injured kitten hiding behind overgrown and unkempt bush just meters away from his front door. Gingerly picking it up, he frowned. /_How could an injured kitten like this get here?/_ Staring hard at the kitten, he decided that no. this was not another plot of those annoying leeches nor was it a henge, and if Itachi finally wanted to kill him... he won't send a kitten to do the job. With that in mind, he walked up to his porch and cautiously cradled the kitten within his arms.

Opening the door, he toed off his sandals ad walked towards the bathroom. Looking around the cabinets, he spied unused bandages and a first aid kit. Deftly, he took to his arms the kitten before bandaging up its injuries. When he finished, the kitten which he decided to call _Nahiko_, mewled before licking his fingers in appreciation.

* * *

AN: To all those who've read this, I'd be very grateful if you'd help me think up a few more ideas for the chapters. Although i've some. I'd greatly appreciate suggestions and comments. Thank you for reading.

AN2: To all those who've reviewed, thank you... I hope you continue reading my fics.


	12. Strangers in Konoha

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the start of the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**PPS:** The italicized words are flashbacks.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01

Chapter 11 :: Strangers in Konoha

Yuurin was glaring at her. Ayako thought in wonder. She felt strangely bemused at the thought. It never crossed her mind to wonder why exactly the older nin was annoyed with her. It was of no consequence... unimportant, as Itachi would always say. Watching from the corner of her eye, she saw her teammates tense at the Hokage's entrance. ANBU were rarely called except for assassinations and espionage. She wondered... why exactly would the Sandaime call for her team specifically. It was their vacation, damnit. Glaring at the Hokage's desk, she forced herself to calm, no reason to blow up at the Hokage merely because of her annoyance at her own incompetence.

Feeling a probing glance on her person, she raised her head to see the Sandaime giving her a tired smile before saying, "The Chuunin exams would be starting in a week."

Frowning in confusion, Aya replied, "A week? But the... it was... Three weeks from now is its supposed start!"

Waving his hand in an effort to calm her, the Sandaime sighed. "A mistake has been made in the scrolls sent to the other villages. For that, the Council and I have decided to push it earlier."

A mistake like that was rather intriguing, Ayako surmised. The Hokage would not be so careless to let one pass as such. Briefly, she wondered if it was some ploy the Sandaime had cooked up. Ayako blinked out of her temporary stupor when the parting words of the Hokage reached her ears.

"... escort Sunagakure's team..."

..._Sunagakure... that boy..._

"Ayako-san?" Kyle prodded her. "Are you alright?"

Turning to stare at him, she sighed before whispering. "I will keep watch of them for now. Both of you, rest." That said, she left the room with light steps and a troubled mind.

* * *

Naruto couldn't help but glare at Sasuke. Even he was perplexed at his own behavior. For some unknown reason, he dreadfully disliked being near his pale teammate. Kyuubi was unstable whenever he was near him. Even the nine-tails' annoyance at the pink haired leech, that was making his mission harder, had never been this strong. Turning to stare at the empty space opposite of Sasuke, he sighed. Ever since the other day, he'd been feeling perturbed... and the feeling that he was experiencing right now likened to it... only now it centered on his charge. Of all people... The thought was pushed aside when he felt Kakashi-san's chakra approaching. 

"Yashaku! Ohayou... I got lost today!"

"USO!!!" Both Naruto and Sakura shouted out as Sasuke scowled in annoyance. Seeing as nothing extraordinary was happening, he let himself go autopilot. It seems as if the whole debacle was something ingrained in him already. Everything went as usual. He went on as idiotic as he could. It was during their mission of cleaning the river that everything went downhill.

Slipping on a wet stone, Naruto was swept by the current. As he was slowly being washed towards the waterfalls, the thought of saving himself briefly crossed his mind. Remembering though the fact that he was supposed to be a bakayarou, he screamed out for help, wondering within himself why he wished for that pale Uchiha to save him.

He felt a prickle of fear as he awaited his imminent fall when he felt himself stop. Looking up, he saw Sasuke holding him by foot. The errant thought of Haku's words flashed through his mind as he was slowly pulled up by the quiet boy. _'...How jealous would he be, I wonder? Especially if I feed you, Naru-chan? That pale teammate of yours...'_

_"_Moron."

Faintly, Naruto wondered what Sasuke would say if he knew the truth. Would he still be as arrogant as he is now?/_ ... Would be still save me from all kinds of danger... I wonder.../_

* * *

"...usurontokachi.(?) If you want me to stop making you look bad... then just surpass me..." 

It was nearing the end of their mission when he noticed Kakashi looking above. Forming a minor kage-bunshin a small distance away, he ordered it to see what exactly caught his sensei's attention. Learning of the appearance of the Hokage's messenger-bird, he let out a sigh of relief. _Finally..._

"Well then," Kakashi started, "how about calling it a day?" From the corner of his eye, he noted that Sakura had turned to Kakashi as if to emphasize that she was listening. "I have to go submit this mission report..."

Looking towards Haruno Sakura, he noted that their tradition of goodbyes had already started. He let all of this pass until his turn. Crinkling his eyes to form his fox smile, he told her. "Saa, forget Sasuke! Let's train together." Hearing Kakashi's exit, he smirked inside. For appearances sake, as well as his newfound audience, he turned as if surprised.

Feeling the trio's chakra, he waited until they had covered a bit more distance to stand just behind him before he acknowledged them. It amused him to no end that Konohamaru, the child he used to watch over, without Ebisu's knowledge, was now following him like a loyal puppy... and bringing two others as well. Running a few before stopping, he noted that they were quite diligent in their chase. _This is going to be fun..._

* * *

_...Or maybe not..._ It was minutes after the trio's introduction, all was going well if not for the careless comment that the brats waved about Sakura being his girlfriend. He would've cleared it up if not for the fact that he was supposed to have a crush on her. 

_She would've been stronger as a nin... _He thought as they ran away from her. _...if only she wasn't so obsessed with Sasuke..._

* * *

Ayako, wearing her ANBU mask, was watching the two siblings with a bit of boredom. The two were walking around the village... just plain walking really. She wouldn't have ben bothered by this if not for the fact that they were making rounds on places that were secluded. She was about to stifle a yawn when a familiar chakra roused her. 

Watching keenly the two, she noted that Naruto's character may be in danger now. His pink haired teammate was obviously afraid of the painted nin's face, and if Naruto did not act quickly, Konohamaru-kun may get hurt. _But it would be bad if all our hard work was wasted because of these foreigners..._ She was about to come out of her hiding when a flying rock hit the boy's painted face. Looking towards the tree from which it came, she was pleased to see that it was the Uchiha which had appeared.

"What are you bastards doing in our village?" Hearing his words, she fought hard to suppress her giggles. He was just like Itachi! She was about to go into fangirl mode when a wisp of chakra brushed her senses. Looking towards the tree from which Sasuke was situated, she held back a gasp. _That boy..._

* * *

Naruto stared in amazement. The stirrings of the Kyuubi's chakra washed over him in silence. He remembered the note Ayako gave him when she'd returned... he was here... the jinchuuriki of Suna... He was about to open his mouth to speak when the trickle of another presence alerted him... Another bijuu... 

_Nibi..._ The thought entered his mind, or rather more appropriate to say that Kyuubi had supplied the information. _A nekomata..._

Watching the redhead, he noticed that his eyes lingered a bit on Sasuke and frowned

_Why is he staring at Sasuke? And where did that bijuu's presence originate from?_

_

* * *

So Gaara is his name...__And they are afraid of him..._

Ayako frowned at the thought. They are siblings, why would they be afraid of him?

"... to you guys..."

She had missed his words, briefly she wondered what they were before listening closely to his next words.

"...Sabaku no Gaara... and you are? Your name?"

"It's Uchiha Sasuke."

Turning to leave, Gaara paused before saying. "And you? The one in orange? Who are you?"

Ayako was surprised to feel him leak out chakra when he asked her otouto. "Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

She watched him walk away from the group as if unconcerned. She wondered though. Naruto had not showed any skills, why would he be interested? Shrugging, she set out to follow the siblings... not noticing the narrowing of Gaara's pale green eyes.

* * *

12345678987654321

* * *

AN: To all those who've read this, I'd be very grateful if you'd help me think up a few more ideas for the chapters. Although i've some. I'd greatly appreciate suggestions and comments. Thank you for reading. 

AN2: To all those who've reviewed, thank you... I hope you continue reading my fics.

AN3: 'Tutor et Ultor' means 'Protector and Avenger'


	13. Cheating Pranks

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the start of the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**PPS:** The italicized words are flashbacks.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01

Chapter 12 :: Cheating Pranks

"We'll be going to our rooms now, Gaara." Temari whispered as they parted with him to move to their own rooms. Gaara allowed them to leave with no more than a glance to show he'd heard her words. Staring out his room window, he watched the flicker of lights below before turning to stare at his own reflection. Spying movement at his right, he closed his eyes and attacked.

It was minutes later when Ayako realized her mistake. Her body was suspended a few feet from the ground by chains of sand. It was with a sigh that she thanked the heavens for actually remembering to wear her mask today. Testing her bounds, she felt Gaara's green eyes glaring up at her. Turning to look back at him, she realized that he was staring at her with something akin to curiosity. "You were following us."

It was a statement, she realized. He'd known the whole time that she was spying on them. The question was why he chose to confront her alone and not with his team. Still confused, she kept her silence, figuring that if he wished to know something then he would be the first to make a move.

It was with disappointment that she realized that that wasn't the case. He stared at her now for over an hour and neither seemed inclined to continue the conversation. She wondered though why it was that he still hadn't killed her.

She was startled out of her mental debate when he suddenly spoke. "Why do you not fear me? When your life I can easily take away?"

"…why should I fear?", she replied, "I am a shinobi, is it not in my job description that I stare at death with courage on a regular basis? So why should I fear you, when I've never feared others before…"

Feeling anger at her words, Gaara's sand moved to attack her but change course and instead destroyed her mask. It was with minimal surprise that Gaara saw himself staring back at the face of the one he'd rescued before. "…You…"

"Your message was well received."

"I was mistaken."

"?" Seeing her confused face, he let loose the chains binding her, allowing her to fall lightly on the floor.

"Two bijuus are within Konoha's walls." He reiterated as he again faced the windows and the lights below.

"…"

Turning back to face Ayako, Gaara set his face back into a glare. "Leave."

"…"

"Come back and your life will be forfeit." With that he allowed her leave before going back to stare at the lights of the village surroundings.

* * *

Naruto believed himself above pranks, especially now that he was already an ANBU, regardless of the fact that it was not official or that it was a secret between him and the Sandaime... and probably the next Kage as well. That belief didn't help him at all, much worse he felt the insistence of his kitsune counterpart to trick all of these people. The greatest prank ever... It seemed as if his days as the dobe were slowly but surely eating at his control. His fingers itched for action; _it would be easy to disrupt all of these with just a flick..._ his brain supplied. 

Turning just a bit, he saw the scowls and frowns all of these ninja were training on their pieces of paper. His own sheet was left carefully blank if not for a few words that he'd wanted to say to the Hokage. Closing his eyes, he could feel Sakura's concerned gaze upon his back. _She must be worried about me dragging the team_, he thought to himself as he contemplated on whether or not he should write the answers on his paper or not. It would surprise everyone, that much he was sure... but would it create enough of a ripple for them to wonder...?

It was with much gusto that he raised his pen to write all the correct answers on his paper. He could feel Hinata's eyes widening at his actions. It was hilarious, the shock she felt was rolling in waves and it tickled his senses like a drug. This was what he missed during his days in the Uzumaki clan. There, everyone was watching over him, protecting him, training him... and everyone there, except for Grandpa, Uncle, and his two cousins, were just overeager bakayarous trying to impress and stick close to him for when he becomes the next head. He hated it. He'd rather they feel their disdain compared to the sick feeling of being played, but he enjoyed playing with them, that much he was certain.

Feeling intense eyes on his person, Naruto peeked a glance to find Neji's Byakugan eyes burning holes on him. Giving himself a mental kick, he did something he knew was against his training. He allowed a small almost unnoticeable flicker of his chakra to rise in answer to his questioning gaze. Feeling the stare intensify, he mentally smirked before turning back his attention to Ibiki, as well as on the few chuunin scattered around the room.

* * *

Laughing at the gall of the orange-clad genin, Naruto Uzumaki if he remembered correctly, Ibiki was about to put down his paper when it glowed a pale blue to reveal correct answers to the test questions. He assessed that the young Uzumaki did this to throw off suspicion to his normally idiotic behavior. Ibiki wondered though if he was indeed the idiot he portrayed or a genius with a flare for pranks. 

Frowning, he felt the paper burn his hand before it showed something he knew the Hokage would be interested to hear.

_'Warn the Shadows. Snakes abound, hidden among the masses.'_

* * *

She watched through slitted eyes, the bright one - the one her master called 'Naruto', leave the group. They had exchanged a bunch of words that they had deigned as their 'passwords', prior to his leaving, and she could not help but wonder why they'd thought this only now. Surely, they knew of the multiple eyes and ears upon them. 

Minutes later, the bright one, or so he appeared, returned. Her eyes narrowed as the pink one accepted the doppelganger so easily when deceit could easily be smelled on the air. Her senses could not possibly be that weak, could it? Realizing her foolishness, as she recalled that ningen had weaker senses, she as about to attack when her master threw a sharp metal at him. Pleasantly surprised, although she was a bit expecting it, she watched the mock fight between the two. _Yes_, she thought to herself, _my master is indeed a smart one._

* * *

After ascertaining that no one had followed him, Naruto quickly made the necessary hand signs and whispered 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'. Turning to his clones, he told them to watch out for the other teams, the village, as well as the Hokage himself. Truthfully, he knew that his clones were no match for Konoha's present enemies. Their only use for now was their ability to send him information quickly. Watching them slowly disperse, he felt Kyuubi stir within his cage. He had been doing so, often, and it troubled Naruto that Kyuubi was this restless…especially now that Shukaku's jinhuuriki was within Konoha, not to mention the strange feeling of unease he felt whenever in the immediate area as the younger Uchiha. 

Feeling a presence behind him, he was aghast to find a large snake's open mouth bearing down on him.

* * *

Fighting the pale snake-like Grass nin, Sasuke could not help but mutter, "Damnit Naruto! Where are you?!" 

Hearing his words, Orochimaru could not help but cackle. Turning towards the tired pair, he said. "You are waiting in vain. He is otherwise occupied, fighting for his life against the large snake I sent to make a meal out of him."

Seeing the horror on Sakura's face, he gave out an evil laugh. Unseen, Sasuke's eyes began to bleed red, the tomoes in his eyes spinning wildly.

* * *

"SHIT!!!!!!!!" was the first word that came from Naruto's mouth after regaining consciousness. He was within the snake's insides, the slim and the venom were enough evidence t such a conclusion; and that fact didn't help the irritation he felt from the Kyuubi at his incompetence. Glaring at the slimy wals, h felt the insistent pulling of Kyuubi at his consciousness. Closing his eyes momentarily, he reopened them to see the sewer-like surroundings of his mind. 

Stepping forward towards the Kyuubi's cage, he was met with furious red eyes. "Why didn't you killhe who dares mock us?!" Kyuubi raged, "Why did you allow us to be swallowed by such filth?!"

"I can't injure him from the out…" he replied with a frown, and was about to continue when the Kyuubi cut in.

"And so you deemed us fit to be mere food to such lowlife?!" he asked sarcastically, glaring at the boy.

"I'm not all-powerful, Kyuubi. I still have my weaknesses. You cannot blame me for looking for other ways to defeat him." Naruto reasoned out.

Smirking, as if waiting for this, Kyuubi responded, "You could be, if you accept my offer, ningen."

Glancing at him sideways, he puffed out a sigh before, "A human would die for and with that power. My mind and body wouldn't be able to handle it."

A sarcastic grin was his answer along with, "It could… if you accept my other offer…"

"I'm not giving up my humanity, fox." Naruto answered with a glare.

"It's not as if you're giving it up altogether, ningen no baka."

Turning serious, Naruto looked him in the eye before stating, "I treasure my humanity, Kyuubi. Nothing would ever change that… at the very least, it certainly won't be for want of power."

Glaring at the impudent boy, Kyuubi replied, "Heed my words, ningen. You'd surely change your tune…when the time comes…" His words were ominous and filled with promise.

* * *

Watching the fight between her master and the one who smelt of snake and venom, she could not help but worry. Their difference in power and strength was apparent to her, and seeing the stranger play with her master left her wanting to sink her claws in his flesh. But still her master fought, even though tired and obviously weaker, it seemed as if the snake man's statement about the bright one had fully angered him, the thought of his death acting as her master's adrenaline boost. 

Distracted by the sudden spike of chakra, which she surmised as 'Naruto's' as well as the sound of ripping flesh, she was unable to react quickly enough to stop her master's enemy from biting him. Her eyes narrowing, she launched at his bare elongated neck, her claws extended to the very tip.

* * *

AN: Care to give me ideas, dearies? 


	14. Alliance of Dark and Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and its characters…except for my own created OCs.

**AN**: I forgot…. In the start of the anime, Itachi and Iruka are only supposed to be 17 and 25 respectively. Just a note: Since I don't want Iruka to seem too old for Itachi, I changed both their ages to 20 yrs old to fit my story better. So sorry for the mistake…

**PS**: Ignore the text inside the () for they are merely my comments.

**PPS:** The italicized words are flashbacks or dreams.

**Tutor et Ultor**

**Formerly known as 'Shards of My Secret Unkempt'**

By Paranoia-shoujo & lain-trigger01

Chapter 13 :: Alliance of Dark and Fire

Ayako knelt before the Uzumaki Council of Elders before bowing her head in a kowtow before her grandfather, the Uzumaki Head. Turning to her father, she saw his face dissolve to a frown at her expression. She knew that whatever message she brought, it must be one of greatest import lest she would be punished for barging in on a private meeting."Kenji-sama," she started, pausing awhile for him to motion her to continue, "It seems that another bijuu has come to Konoha."She noticed the bewilderment that showed itself on his face before hearing his reply. "Is that so, what other information have you brought?"

Breathing a little easier at his inquiry, she resumed her report. "Our informant was here minutes before; I was the one to meet his instead of Ran as he opted to follow Naruto and his team to the Forest of Death. The Nibi's carrier is dead.""And what is the significance of this information to the one you've brought?" Her father asked, before she could continue.Allowing her eyes to meet his, she replied. "It seems that Akatsuki failed to capture the Nibi. Yugito, its jinchuriki, allowed its escape as a last resort."

"And you propose that it is the Nibi that has come to Konoha and its walls?"

"I am unsure still but I do believe that is so, Kenji-sama."

"I see. We will see later what our heir wishes to say about this. You may leave now; you are pardoned from your interruption."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Kenji-sama." Hearing the unspoken order, she slowly stood before leaving the room.

* * *

Orochimaru's borrowed body jerked him back in response to the pain he'd felt from the kuroneko's claws. Looking over to the Uchiha, he saw the lithe black cat protectively guarding him from his prize. Its fur had risen and it was hissing at him furiously. He briefly entertained the thought of killing the pathetic animal when he felt multiple chakra signatures heading their way, presumably jounin. 

The moment he left, Sasuke fell to the side, grasping his injured neck. Worried at the thought of possible poisoning, Sakura expertly pried off his fingers to reveal not a bite-mark but from what she could discern was a seal.Unnoticed, Nahiko's fur rose in warning before her fangs latched themselves on his exposed neck. Surprised, Sakura grabbed her by her scruff and threw her to the side, but the damage had already been done and a new bite now adorned his neck, overlapping the curse seal.

Snarling at the insolence of the ningen female, Nahiko was about to attack her when the scent of fox mingled with the bright one's permeated her senses. Watching with wary eyes, she saw the bright one, Naruto, she reminded herself, brush his fingers on the onna's pressure point and the pathetic ningen's slow defeat to the darkness.

* * *

Naruto felt Kyuubi prodding his cage as he stared at the kuroneko before him. Making a quick decision, he allowed the Kyuubi to take over. 

Revealing blood red eyes, he turned to the cat and watched with mild interest as it changed form to that of a female ningen child. "Nibi..."

Staring unconcerned, Nibi blinked slowly before replying, "Kyuubi...," looking at the bright one's physique up and down, she continued, "...so this is your jinchuuriki..."

Brushing off her comment, he turned his attention to the fallen Uchiha before..."Orochimaru?"

"Who?" Nibi asked, her slitted eyes narrowing further.

"The snake..."

Hissing furiously at the memory of what had transpired mere minutes before; Nibi took a moment before replying an affirmative.Taking a minute to process the events, Kyuubi almost didn't notice the scent that drifted to his sensitive nose. Burning holes at the Nekomata's ningen form with his stare, he growled out. "You marked him."

She shrugged, her voice colored by mixed concern and annoyance, "I will not allow that filth to use my master." Her eyes briefly flashed an electric yellow before mellowing to a pale green as the words left her lips.

At her tone, curiosity entered Kyuubi's gaze. "You've claimed him as your master?"

A smirk formed on her lips before whispering mockingly, "...as you've taken your jinchuuriki as your kit...""This boy," Kyuubi sneered, "is not my kit."

"Hai." Nibi purred, her lips tilting upwards in amusement, "As I am...not a bijuu but a lowly ningen..."

The only reply she received was a scowl before the scent of rain and fresh cut grass drifted to their sensitive nose. With a nod to the Kyuubi, the Nekomata shifted to return to a body of that of a black cat before springing to lay itself beside the raven-head.

Naruto, feeling a familiar chakra nearing, wrestled for control. He opened his eyes to see Ran making a mental report of their injuries.

* * *

Having received summons from the Uzumaki head, Haku felt a drop of fear envelop him. As if to twist the knife that embedded itself to his heart when he learned of Orochimaru's attack against Team Seven, he saw the frown that Ran-niisan desperately tried to mask. Bowing down before Kenji-sama, he tried to still his heartbeat to normalcy."Orochimaru has succeeded in his mission, it seems..." Kenji started as Haku stared at him in dread. 

"..." Ran couldn't help the glare that slipped on his features when reminded of his failure; it seemed as if it was there to haunt him."It is not your fault, Ran. I wouldn't expect you to fight and win against that snake. Best scenario would be a quick death, but knowing him and the fact that he positively abhors us, it would be a mere hope to be squashed. It was best that you were unable to reach them in time."

He gave a brief nod to imply that he understood. But Haku knew that if he was in Ran-niisan's shoes, he too would be unable to forgive himself for his failure. Too deep in his musings, Haku almost didn't hear Ran-niisan's report."I felt a large amount of chakra within the forest, at the place where Naruto and his team stood.""And?" Kenji prompted.

"It vanished when I arrived."

Blinking owlishly, Haku tried to follow the meaning of his words but was unable to understand the unspoken conversation between the two. Shrugging, he allowed himself to notice that Ayako-neesan was leaning against the doorway, as if waiting for a chance to speak to the otherwise occupied Uzumaki Head.

* * *

Naruto brushed back sweaty bangs as he and his clone arrived at another clearing, this one being closer to the tower. Without turning around he motioned for the Bunshin to place down his pink haired teammate. Cautiously, he too placed Sasuke underneath a large tree. Plopping down beside the pale Uchiha, he heaved a sigh. It had been a few hours since the attack and knowing that more were to follow, he opted to travel at a pace faster than a normal genin should be allowed. 

Hearing a pop beside him, he turned to face another bunshin. This one bearing a scroll opposite from the one that he held. Allowing a smile to show itself on his face, he gave a nod to the clone before taking the scroll and allowing it to poof out of existence.

Now he just had to make sure that Sasuke and Sakura were both well enough for them to pass. _/And to think I didn't have to do this but instead choose to.../_

* * *

Gaara stared out of the tower's windows. Having felt the influx of chakra, Shukaku was creating havoc inside his mind. Strangely though, he felt at peace as if the chakra was one similar to him. He deduced that it was a jinchuuriki like him. A cursed child... 

Feeling Temari's stare, he released a minute amount of killer intent. It should be enough for her to leave him alone.

* * *

_//Sasuke opened his eyes to look around __his surroundings__, bright gold strands seemed to meld into__ one large room.__'Where am I?'__ he thought to himself in wonder._

_Looking around, he spotted a shadow of a__ young__ boy, a few feet from him, standing with his face downcast. 'Who is that...?' Looking closer, he realized that__ before him stood his own self, his past__... before his association with Team Seven. The young boy was shaking, his fury barely controlled and__ his face contorted to a glare._

_Straining his ears, he caught the angry words. "Dad and Mom didn't have to die..."__Tears flowed down the boy's cheeks as__ the golden __landscape__ changed to a memory __that Sasuke__ would never forget. The bodies of his parents on the floor..._

_'Everyone was killed'_

_The bloodied walls..._

_'Because I didn't have enough power'_

_The sea of red..._

_'The Clan was wiped out...'_

_...and his brother's spinning Sharingan eyes.//_

* * *

A tired sigh left Naruto's lips as he watched violet flames envelop his charge. Hearing movement at his left, he turned and saw a young pale-faced girl with long black hair and slitted eyes. A small smile curved on his lips before he greeted her. "Nibi." 

Glancing towards the unconscious Uchiha, Nibi frowned. "The snake's taint ails him."

"Aa."

* * *

_//'If you don't have power...'_

_You__can't__ do anything_

_'Because I didn't have power'_

_'Everyone was killed!'_

_The __image__ of his past__ self__lifted its head to face him__it__s right hand atop half i__t__s face. A manic glare and a sadistic smile on__ its__ face, he spat out to Sasuke. "No, __you__ let them die...__You just watched them die."_

_'If only I had power__' The __boy-Sasuke's__ hand slowly stripped of the skin to show Orochimaru's eye. "If only you had power..."//_

* * *

The demonic violet chakra engulfed Sasuke's body, his face slowly becoming covered with black flames. 

Nibi stared hard at Sasuke before meeting Naruto's concerned eyes. Smirking lightly, she whispered "But he is still only human… that snake."

* * *

_//"Foolish." The word seemed to jolt Sasuke from his trance, his gaze shifted to where the voice originated. Surprised, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of... "Okaa-san"_

_The boy-Sasuke glared at her, "You're not supposed to be here."_

_Her coal eyes hardened upon the sight of the half-face, "No. The one who's not supposed to be here is you."__ The shadow of a large cat with two tails seemed to dim the surroundings and the boy with the half-face disappeared_

* * *

And just as suddenly as it happened, the black flames receded to the Heaven Curse Seal's inactive state before the image of Black Luna burned itself atop it. 

Nibi, for her part, merely shrugged as Naruto's eyes shifted to her. "I suppose this is your contribution?"

A smile colored her pale lips, "Hn."

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**AN:** I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, do forgive me. I'll try my best though to update faster. And to those who are wondering…No, I will not be giving this up. And no, I will not change the names of the Yondaime, and his wife…even if I already know their real names… Just treat this fic as an AU. Thank you for reading. 


End file.
